Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex String
If your looking for a great all round string then look no further than the Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex string.
Archive for the ‘Equipment’ Category
Dunlop Biomimetic Max 200G Racquet
There was a very interesting review of the Dunlop Biomimetic Max 200G Racquet posted on our forum. The Dunlop is a McEnroe designed racquet so you expect it to be great at net, but this racquet also provides great control from the baseline. This is not a pro-level racquet, but great for the mid-level player.
Cool Nike Pixel Tees with Rafa and Roger!
Check out these cool t-shirts that have Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on them! The pixel effect is really awesome!
These shirts come with different color backgrounds such as grey or black or even navy blue, and Roger’s and Rafa’s shirts can be different colors as well, depending on the background color.
I hope you enjoy looking at these cool tees!
Caroline Wozniacki 2012 French Open dress!
This is what former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki will wear to the 2012 French Open:
I like the color of the dress, and I think that it will look really good with a red clay background. Good luck to Caroline at Roland Garros!
Maria Sharapova’s 2012 French Open dress!
Sorry for my previous post about the dress… I got it wrong. Anyway, here is Maria Sharapova’s 2012 French Open dress:
I like the serious dark color, although I wouldn’t have minded something bright and colorful. Overall, this looks good and comfortable, and I hope Masha will play well, and maybe even win, in this dress!
Ball Wars: Dunlop False Advertising Claims Head and Penn
It looks like tennis is heading to a different type of court!
Two of the world’s leading tennis ball manufacturers are locked in a dispute over claims made by one in an advertisement.
On Monday 30 April, HEAD USA Inc. and Penn Racquet Sports Inc. filed a claim of false advertising against Dunlop International Ltd. and Dunlop Sports Group Americas Inc.
The lawsuit claims that Dunlop mislead the public in regards to advertising their tennis balls as the “World’s No. 1 Ball”. They also claimed to hold 70% of the tennis ball market. Penn argue that both claims made are false.
Neither of the two companies were available to comment on the lawsuit but hopefully this will not be dragged through the courts.
Wilson Six-One 95 BLX 16×18 Racquet Review
Great review of the Wilson Six-One 95 BLX 16×18 Racquet.
Wilson Tennis – Public Service Tennis Announcement
Funny Wilson tennis public service announcement. Wilson Tennis believes in anti-shanking.
2012 Australian Open Girls Doubles Champ Gabrielle Andrews is the player smashing the ball at the end of the video.
Babolat Play & Connect Racquet Technology
Babolat have released a fun video of Rafael Nadal and his coach/uncle Toni demo’ing the latest Play & Connect racquet from Babolat.
Nike Air Court Ballistec 4.3 Men’s Shoe Review
The Nike Air Court Ballistec 4.3 Men’s Shoe is Rafael Nadals shoe of choice. This review comes direct from the Tennis Warehouse and comes with a 6 month durability guarantee.
Head Youtek IG Extreme Pro Tennis Racquet Review
Here is a Head Youtek IG Extreme Pro Tennis Racquet Review from DoItTennis.
Roger Federer and the Nike Zoom Vapor 9 Tour
Roger Federer introduced the new Nike Zoom Vapor 9 Tour tennis shoe. Seems like an awesome new shoe!
p.s. Nike when are you going to send me a free pair to review?
Airwalk Tennis Ball Shoe
Here is an awesome new Airwalk design that has their skateboarding shoe with an outer texture of a tennis ball.
via Highsnobiety
Rafael Nadal’s, Roger Federer’s 2012 French Open outfits!!
This is what Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will wear at the 2012 French Open, where Rafa will try to win his 7th French Open title!!
Ana Ivanovic’s 2012 French Open dress!
This is what former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic will wear at the 2012 French Open!
HEAD Trinergy – Accelerate Your Speed
The new HEAD Speed Pro II is now available, featuring the innovative HEAD TRINERGY technology. The Trinergy provides better shock absorption, energy transfer and acceleration than previous versions.
Wilson BLX Racquets for Intermediate and Competitive Players
Since tennis racquets are among the more expensive items one can buy, each tennis player in the market for a racquet should put some thought into their next purchase. Looking at the style of tennis player you are and what your mechanics are like are important steps in finding the racquet that best suits you. This process is especially critical for competitive tennis players who need a racquet that at the very least, won’t put them at a competitive disadvantage. With these factors in mind, we examine a few models of Wilson BLX racquets designed for those who play above beginner levels.
Before looking at specific models, it helps to know more about what’s behind Wilson BLX technology. In a nutshell, it is an improvement over Wilson [K]arophite technology, which combined carbon black and silicon dioxide (SiO2) with graphite fibers for improved strength while maintaining lightness. BLX uses basalt, a rock formed from the cooling of volcanic lava. Basalt fibers are added to [K]arophite fibers, resulting in a racquet that is even stronger but has a better feel because of reduced shock and vibration from striking the ball.
Intermediate Players
The term, ‘intermediate’, can be vague, but for our purposes we will use it to describe players with NTRP ratings of 3.0-4.5. There are a few models of Wilson BLX racquets for players who fall in this range.
The Pro Open BLX racquet has a 100 square inch head with a 16 x 19 string pattern with a four point, head light design. It has a moderate power level and is meant for players with a moderate to full, medium or powerful swing.
The Blade 98 BLX racquet has a two point, head light balance with a 98 square inch head and 18 x 20 string pattern. Its characteristics more closely resemble those on racquets used by competitive players. The power level is low to moderate, and is meant for 4.5+ level players who have an aggressive, long stroke.
The Surge BLX has a two point, head light balance with a head size of 100 square inches and a 16 x 19 string pattern. It’s almost identical to the Pro Open BLX except it has a lighter feel with a two point, head light balance.
Competitive Players
For the sake of discussion, we will use ‘competitive’ to describe players with NTRP ratings of 5.0-7.0. There are several more options of Wilson BLX racquets suited for this level of player to choose from with a few new models for 2012.
The Six.One Tour BLX racquet is designed for the more elite tennis players. If you have a long aggressive stroke and an NTRP rating between 5.0 and 7.0, this model may be right for you. It has a 90 square inch head size, 16 x 19 string pattern and a nine-point, head light balance. It comes as no surprise that one of the top players in the world, Roger Federer, used this racquet in competition.
The Six.One BLX comes in a couple of variations, each with 95 square inch heads and an an eight point, head light balance. The biggest difference is that one has a 16 x 18 string pattern, while the other has an 18 x 20 string pattern.
Juan Martin del Potro, winner of the 2009 US Open, uses the Wilson Pro Tour BLX racquet. It has an 18 x 20 string pattern and a seven point, head light design with a 96 square inch head.
The Blade Tour BLX has a smaller 93 square inch head size and designed for those who want more control and maneuverability in a racquet. The six point, head light model has an 18 x 20 string pattern.
New Models
Several new models of Wilson BLX racquets are scheduled to ship on January 22 and can be pre-ordered now!
The Pro Staff Six.One comes in three different variations. The 90 square inch model uses a 16 x 19 string pattern and designed for players with NTRP ratings of 5.0-7.0. The other two variations are the 95 square inch model (16 x 19, 5.0+) and the 100 square inch model (16 x 18, 4.5+).
The Juice Pro BLX model is another racquet used by Juan Martin del Potro. It comes in a 96 square inch model (16 x 20, 4.5+), a 100 square inch model (16 x 18, 3.0+) and the large headed 108 square inch model (16 x 19, 3.0+)
The Steam BLX comes in a 100 square inch model, new for 2012. It has a 16 x 20 pattern with moderate power for 3.0+ players.
Conclusion
If you are an intermediate to competitive player looking for a racquet with good feel and state of the art materials, look no further than the many fine Wilson BLX racquets. There are several models to choose from for any skill level and style of player. The new racquets for 2012 are coming out in just a few days and are also worthy of consideration. Regardless of what racquet you prefer, you can rest assure that if it comes from Wilson, it comes from one of the leaders in providing quality tennis equipment.
Wilson K Factor Racquets: Advanced Technology For Players of All Levels
Tennis racquet frames have made an impression evolution over they years, from wood to aluminum to graphite. While simple graphite alone is a strong, light material ideal for the demands of tournament play, Wilson improved on simple graphite with nCode and [K]arophite Black technologies. These technologies are available in Wilson K Factor racquets to players of any level.
A Closer Look at [K]arophite Black
To better understand the benefits of the advanced technology in the design of Wilson K Factor racquets, it’s helpful to look at how the material is produced. [K]arophite Black is a nanotechnology done at a microscopic level to improve racquet strength without sacrificing the lightness of graphite.
Take a look at a simple graphite racquet. It’s made up of a light, yet sturdy material, a great improvement over aluminum and wood racquets of previous generations. At a microscopic level you would see the graphite fibers with lots of open space between them.
Wilson improved on this by filling the spaces between the graphite fibers with silicon dioxide. If you’re wondering what silicon dioxide is, it’s one of the most plentiful substances on earth. You typically see it everyday in the form of sand, silica or glass. Wilson scientists found that adding this material to the spaces between graphite fibers on a microscopic level resulted in an even stronger racquet body. This become the nCode technology used in previous generations of Wilson racquets.
Not content to stop there, scientists found that they could take nCode technology a step further. Using carbon black fibers to connect the silicon dioxide particles to the graphite fibers added to the racquet strength even further. Thus, [K]arophite Black and the Wilson K Factor racquet was born.
Other Technologies Found In Wilson K Factor Racquets
The [K]ontour Yoke is an improvement in frame technology, limiting the twisting movement that the racquet can make while striking the ball.
The [K]onnector is one of two wing shaped fittings molded to the hoop the racquet for an increased sweet spot and greater control.
The [K]ompact Center is a rounded triangular shaped design in the area between the hoop and handle. This innovation was inspired by Roger Federer and improves the handling characteristics of the racquet.
Specific Models
If you are a beginner (NTRP 1.5+) then the K Factor Zero is ideal for you. Its 4 points, head heavy balance is best for players with a short stroke looking for power. The head is a large 118 square inches with a 16 x 19 string pattern.
The next step up is the K Factor Three, designed for a slightly better skill level (2.5+ NTRP) but an 8 points, head heavy balance for those who still have short strokes and need power from the racquet. Its 115 square inch head is slightly smaller than the K Factor Zero’s with a 16 x 19 string pattern.
Those with an NTRP skill level in the 3.5+ range should look at the K Factor Blade Team. Its 4.2 points, head light balance works well for those with a moderate swing. The head size is 104 square inches and has an 18 x 19 string pattern.
Another option for those with a moderate swing is the K Factor Four. The skill level for this racquet is in the 3.0-4.5 NTRP range, so it would likely be a good fit for those considering the Blade Team model. It has a 3 points, head heavy balance with a head size of 105 square inches and a 16 x 19 string pattern.
If your skill level has advanced to the 4.5+ range, the K Factor Blade 98 is worthy of consideration. Its 98 square inch head allows greater maneuverability and its 3 points, head light balance works well with aggressive swings and it has an 18 x 20 string pattern.
Conclusion
The Wilson K Factor series represents a big step in racquet engineering and design. Players of all skill levels can take advantage of this technology that uses common, everyday materials.
HEAD Celebrating 25th Anniversary with a Prestige Racquet Giveaway
HEAD are celebrating their 25th anniversary with a Prestige racquet giveaway. On the 25th of every month this year Head will be giving away a Free HEAD Prestige. To win a racquet all you need to do is go to the Head Facebook app: https://www.facebook.com/headtennis?sk=app_322073137816607
The Power of Prestige Teaser:
25 years of Prestige Film:
