Last night (Australian time) I was watching Marcos Baghdatis and Stanislas Wawrinka match. Baghdatis seemed to be in complete control in the first set, but really struggled to close out the set. This seemed to become a trend for the rest of the match.
Wawrinka won the match 7-6 6-4 5-7 6-1.
p.s. Did I mention that Baghdatis broke four racquets during the match! Great to see some emotion on court from a top player (shows it means a lot).
Anyone who is the least bit interested in tennis will surely confirm that Babolat products have a huge presence on the courts. From recreational and/or occasional participants to Professional players, one does not need to look far or hard to see Babolat’s logo all over the place!
Babolat’s Pure Drive racquets have been a consistent leader in sales volume and are recognized as appropriate sticks for a wide variety of skill levels. There must be a reason…
Benefits of the Vibration Filter The Cortex Dampening System (CDS) is an active vibration filter that enhances feel. “Feel” is tough to describe and may mean different things to different people. Babolat Pure Drive racquets, however, have had great success with the Pure Drive Series and one of the most common remarks heard is “it just feels great”! The CDS is an interface between the upper half (racquet face/frame) and the lower half (racquet handle). It interrupts, or “filters” unwanted vibrations from reaching the player’s hand. This, in turn, improves the player’s sensation of ball impact, i.e., ball “feel”. Not all vibrations are removed (players need to know what’s going on). Generally speaking, high-frequency vibrations are removed while useful low-frequency vibrations are retained. Any regular tennis player seems to know the difference between “good sound” and “bad sound” upon ball impact (I was SURE that ball was going to be IN—it sounded so GOOD!). Babolat says that Expert Players will benefit from the CDS because of its enhanced feel and that intermediate players will benefit from the additional comfort it provides.
Lighter Weight through Scientific Advancements Babolat GT refers to the materials used to manufacture Pure Drive racquets: Graphite Tungsten. Used throughout the entire racquet, GT is a hybrid technology that combines braided carbon fibers with tungsten filaments added. Babolat states that GT technology improves racquet performance in the areas of “control” and “feel”. Babolat scientifically applies different concentrations of tungsten at strategic locations on each racquet to maximize its beneficial aspects. Babolat also states that GT technology results in a 10% increase in energy recovery which provides more power.
We’re Not Making Music Here Woofer is Babolat’s invention and is designed to increase the interaction between the frame and the strings. Part of thePure Driveracquet’s grommet system, it consists of raised areas between the grommet holes which act as cushions for the strings. When a ball hits the stringbed this allows 25% more contact time of the ball on the strings. The result is more control and a very comfortable feel.
As you can now tell, there is more to selecting a racquet than a pretty paint job. Tennis companies spend a great deal of money designing features that will give their products an edge over the competition. Babolat has been, and remains, a leader in the industry. Their racquet technology has surely been instrumental in their success—many racquets are purchased because they “feel good”. And why not?
The Wilson Six One tennis racquet family is one of the most widely used on the professional tour. The Six.One’s have also been a long-time favorite of skilled amateur players around the world. Wilson Sporting Goods, for 2012, has categorized the Six.One 95 BLX as a member of their “Control & Spin” series of tennis racquets.
APPEARANCE / STYLE Anyone who has been involved in tennis for a while will immediately recognize the Wilson Six One 95 design. It has the tried and true flat-beam construction with added material on the ‘hoop’ at 3 & 9 o’clock. This 2012 model has an attractive Red/White/Black color theme with striped accents. I think it looks great—a classy design, not overdone—for a traditional player’s racquet.
TECHNOLOGY The Wilson Six One 95 BLX features 2 of Wilson’s newest tech features:
Basalt (BLX): Basalt fibers are woven into the frame to reduced unwanted frequencies (vibrations) and to provide better feedback and feel.
Amplifeel: A new handle technology that provides enhanced feel by using graphite & basalt planks, Foam, and a softer butt-cap.
SPECIFICATIONS The Wilson Six One 95 BLX has a 95” head and weighs 11.7 oz. unstrung. It has a choice of string patterns: a very open 16 x 18 pattern or a tight 18 x 20. The label on the racquet says it is 12 pts head-light and its flat-beam cross-section is a thin 21.6mm wide. It is rated by Wilson as appropriate for skilled players with a long stroke. It is the standard 27” length. This play-test utilized the 16 x 18 string pattern.
GROUNDSTROKES Experienced baseliners will greatly enjoy the performance the Wilson Six One 95 BLX delivers. Its weight (as one of the heavier racquets Wilson makes) really counteracts the force of the incoming ball. And the amount of power it delivers for a 95” racquet is fantastic! (but you must have a full and fast swing to gain maximum benefit). I was also pleased with its accuracy—as long as I hit in or near the “sweet-spot”. One note about the weight: even with its 12 point head-light design, the racquet is a bit slower coming around than a lighter racquet. And late-hits can cause all kinds of trouble, including injury. So be sure to demo this racquet and make certain its right for your game.
VOLLEYS The Wilson Six.One 95 BLX was very accurate at the net. It felt very stable and solid. It was a bit slower than a lighter racquet—but that was to be expected. It was not very forgiving, however, on “off-center” hits. Any hit near the hoop would really twist the racquet in your hand and the where the shot went was “anyone’s guess.” But again—this is a racquet designed for players who rarely miss the center of the strings!
OVERHEADS Overheads / smashes were outstanding with the Six One 95 BLX. It really propels the ball and is dead-on target. Anyone who plays with this racquet will really, really look forward to “sitters”.
SERVES Serves were also excellent with the Six.One 95 BLX. And for many of the same reasons overheads were great—good power, great accuracy, and wonderful “feel”. Its weight and balance allows fast racquet-head speed. It is a great weapon for the server.
SPIN POTENTIAL The Wilson Six One 95 BLX tennis racquet is available with two string patterns: 16 x 18 (more spin/power) and 18 x 20 (more control). I used the 16 x 18 and noted that it provided a predictable and adequate level of spin/slice etc. I was a bit surprised, however, with the great job it did with drop-shot performance (really cool!).
CONCLUSION The Wilson Six.One 95 BLX is a racquet best suited for players in the 4.5+ NTRP category. It is a time-tested design with the addition of new technology. Any player who has the ability and confidence to swing fully, attack the ball, and can provide sufficient power will absolutely love this racquet.
Written by Greg Christopherson, a long-time tennis player and a professional racquet stringer who lives in Oceanside, Calif.
The Wilson Six One Team BLX tennis racquet is a new member to Wilson’s Six.One family of player’s racquets. It is, in essence, a lighter and somewhat differently constructed version of Wilson’s popular Six.One 95 BLX racquet. Wilson places the Six.One Team BLX racquet in their “Control & Spin” category for 2012.
APPEARANCE / STYLE If you like the appearance of the Six One 95 BLX you will also be pleased with the style of the Six.One Team BLX—they are identical in appearance. The Team BLX features a nice Red/White/Black color scheme and reminds me of some “old school” racquet designs. My play-test racquet had a black Wilson “Performance Hybrid” grip which seemed to have just the right amount of tack & moisture control.
TECHNOLOGY The Wilson Six One Team BLX features 3 of Wilson’s newest tech features:
Basalt (BLX): Basalt fibers are woven into the frame to reduced unwanted frequencies (vibrations) and to provide better feedback and feel.
Amplifeel: A new handle technology that provides enhanced feel by using graphite & basalt planks, Foam, and a softer butt-cap.
Double Holes: Increased diameter on grommet holes to allow more string freedom which increases the “sweet spot” and adds power.
SPECIFICATIONS The Wilson Six One Team BLX has a 95” head and weighs 10.2 oz. unstrung. It has an open 16 x 18 string pattern. The label on the racquet says it is 4 pts head-light and its flat-beam cross-section is a thin 20.7mm wide. It is rated by Wilson as appropriate for skilled players with a long stroke. It is the standard 27” length.
GROUNDSTROKES I was immediately comfortable at the baseline with the Six.One Team BLX. Its lighter weight allows rapid acceleration for aggressive playing styles. It is a control-oriented racquet (smallish head-size, thin beam) and, therefore, you must provide the power! But when you do, you will certainly be pleased—it allows you to shoot for the “corner pocket” with confidence. It is a solid racquet with very little vibration or other distractions.
VOLLEYS The good news is that the Six.One Team BLX is very quick at the net. It light weight and head-light balance equates to fantastic maneuverability. And speed often equates to success when facing incoming volleys at a rapid-fire pace! It was even more accurate than I anticipated (I believed the open string pattern and Double Holes may lessen accuracy—I was wrong!). The “less than good” news was that it was very unforgiving on hits near the hoop. Any ball that hit near the frame really made the racquet try to twist in my hand—a bit more than I believe it should, even considering its light weight and 95” head-size. But it is, after all, a racquet designed for skilled and advanced players.
OVERHEADS The Wilson Six One Team BLX is excellent when hitting overhead smashes. It is easy to generate power (via head-speed) and control was good.
SERVES Serves were very good with the Wilson Six.One Team BLX. I was able to generate sufficient power on flat serves and pretty good spin on 2nd serves. It did not offer the control or the power potential of its sister racquet (Six.One 95 BLX) but I did feel as if I could serve “all day” without tiring.
SPIN POTENTIAL The open string pattern of the Wilson Six One Team BLX, combined with the ‘Double Hole’ technology seemed to help it generate good spin and slice. The strings are able to “bite” the ball a bit more due to its design and a player can really hit H-A-R-D without fear. Big Swing + Ball Bite = Spin!
CONCLUSION The Six One Team BLX is an update and modification of proven technology. It is a control-oriented, medium weight, and very easy to maneuver racquet. It should be a consideration for players in the 4.0+ NTRP categories who have a full swing and are seeking more control.
Written by Greg Christopherson, who is a long-time tennis player and a professional stringer from Oceanside, Calif.
Here is the newest Wilson racquet that will be released in 2012. The ProStaff Six One BLX 90 is set to be very popular in 2012 as Roger Federer will be the main pro-player to use this racquet.
Wilson made some changes to their 2012 tennis racquets. Wilson categorized their racquet into three types: Control & Spin, Power & Spin, and Power and Comfort. I was able to play-test their new JUICE 100 BLX racquet which is placed in the “Power & Spin” category.
APPEARANCE / STYLE
When I first observed the WILSON JUICE 100 BLX I immediately thought of the tropics. I know this may seem strange—but it’s baby-blue/white/dark blue/yellow color combo reminded me of paint schemes in coastal beach-themed restaurants! It just doesn’t look very aggressive—like maybe a player with this stick will play “softly”?I think the paint job will take a little time grow on me…
TECHNOLOGY
The WILSON JUICE 100 BLX features 3 of Wilson’s newer tech features:
1) Basalt (BLX): Basalt fibers are woven into the frame to reduced unwanted frequencies (vibrations) and to provide better feedback and feel;
2) Amplifeel: A new handle technology that provides enhanced feel by using graphite & basalt planks, Foam, and a softer butt-cap;
3) Double Holes: Increased diameter on grommet holes to allow more string freedom which increases the “sweet spot” and adds power.
SPECIFICATIONS
The WILSON JUICE 100 BLX Mid Plus has a 100” head and weighs 10.7 oz. unstrung. It has a very open 16 x 18 pattern and is 4 points* head-light. It has a moderate 26.5 mm dual-taper beam. It is rated by Wilson as appropriate for players with a medium to long swing. It is the standard 27” length.* Wilson literature states 4 pts. HL, however, the frame decal states 7 pts. HL.
GROUNDSTROKES
The JUICE 100 BLX feels very stable & solid on ground-strokes. It does add some power—I had numerous shots go “wide” about a foot or so that I thought were going to be “in” when I hit the ball. But once I got dialed-in to the racquet’s performance I became very comfortable with it’s shots. Vibration was almost non-existent and it has a good “sound”. I knew, going in, that it is a head-light racquet, but it seemed to feel more evenly balanced. But the racquet does come-around quickly and hits with authority.
VOLLEYS
The WILSON JUICE 100 BLX provided excellent power on volleys and it’s accuracy was very good. It was not as quick at the net as some other racquets, but it should play well for experienced doubles players and “net rushers”. It is forgiving on off-center hits (resists twisting).
OVERHEADS
This racquet was a stable performer on overheads. I always felt like I knew exactly where the ball was going and at what pace. It encouraged me to put that ball AWAY!
SERVES
The WILSON JUICE 100 BLX serves well. I was immediately comfortable with ball placement and spin. I did not, however, seem to get the power I anticipated on first serves.
SPIN POTENTIAL
The very, very open 16 x 18 string pattern increases the possibility of ball spin. I even noticed that it performs extremely well on slice and drop-shots. The moderate/wide beam, however, may get in the way of players who use a great deal of slice (not much margin of error—the ball will hit the hoop).
CONCLUSION
The WILSON JUICE 100 BLX is a solid performer. It feels great, adds power, and increases spin. It may take a few matches to become accustomed to it’s balance and the way that effects your movement. And you either love or hate the paint job (or don’t care?!). I think it is a good choice for a wide range of player types and could be effectively used by players in the 3.0 – 4.0 Category (NTRP).
Greg Christopherson is a professional tennis stringer who lives in Oceanside, Calif.
Wilson Sporting Goods has made some changes to their tennis racquet line for 2012. One thing Wilson has done is to categorize racquet by three types: Control & Spin, Power & Spin, and Power & Comfort. I was able to play-test their new STEAM 100 BLX racquet which is placed in the “Power & Spin” category.
APPEARANCE / STYLE
The WILSON STEAM 100 BLX simply looks great! It has an exciting & colorful red/white/blue/yellow scheme and probably won’t show scratches or other “war-wounds” like some “plain” racquets often do. If you ignore the paint you’ll see that it is a bit of an “old school” design, i.e., flat-beam construction. But, as you read below, it is an “all new” product.
TECHNOLOGY
The WILSON STEAM 100 BLX features two of Wilson’s newer tech features:
1) Basalt (BLX): Basalt fibers are woven into the frame to reduced unwanted frequencies (vibrations) and to provide better feedback and feel;
2) Double Holes: Increased diameter on grommet holes to allow more string freedom which increases the “sweet spot” and adds power.
SPECIFICATIONS
The WILSON STEAM 100 BLX Mid Plus has a 100” head and weighs 10.4 oz. unstrung. It has a moderate16 x 20 pattern and is 5 points* head-light. It has a moderate 23 mm flat beam. It is rated by Wilson as appropriate for players with a medium to long swing. It is an extended-length racquet with a 27 ¼” length.* Wilson literature states 5 pts. HL, however, the frame decal states 8 pts. HL.
GROUNDSTROKES
The STEAM 100 BLX is outstanding at the baseline. It hits groundstrokes with confidence and power. Its control (ball placement) was exceptionally good—one can really swing-away and have some fun moving your opponent around! It is surprisingly quick considering its extended length—getting it around is not any problem at all. The only negative—and it is a very minor issue (I’m being picky)—is it has a slight more vibration than I anticipated. But this only occurs, however, on off-center hits. This vibration did not bother me at all—just surprised me. After about one set I forgot about it.
VOLLEYS
The WILSON STEAM 100 BLX provided excellent control on volleys and its power was above average. It reacts quickly on reflex-volleys and, again, its extended length was not a negative at the net.
OVERHEADS
The STEAM 100 BLX performed well on overhead “smashes”. It was solid and the accuracy was very good.
SERVES
The WILSON STEAM 100 BLX is really in it’s element on serves. I was able to generate excellent racquet-head speed and the extra .25” seems to provide a little more “pop”. I was very impressed with its accuracy and power. It does everything right when serving.
SPIN POTENTIAL
The STEAM 100 BLX provides sufficient spin and its 23mm beam gives enough clearance on slice shots. Whether topspin, underspin, or side-spin, it does it all well.
CONCLUSION
The WILSON STEAM 100 BLX is a racquet that has excellent “feel” and provides good power. Its accuracy is outstanding and it’s a “rock-star” when serving. It should be great for a wide range of players. i.e., “touch” players will love it as well as big-hitting baseliners. It’s a light, modern, well-designed stick that is suitable for players in the 3.0 – 5.0 range (NTRP).
Greg Christopherson is a professional tennis stringer who lives in Oceanside, Calif.
With the new shipment of Dunlop’s Biomimetic racquets and the amazing performance they suggest, let’s take a closer look at the technology and how it works for you.
The concept of Biomimetics in science is the study of nature and how we can utilize the natural ebb and flow of life around us in the technology we use in our daily lives. The oldest example of this is the aerodynamic shape of the airplane taking after a bird in flight. Another, not so recent example is Velcro, modeled after Gecko tack.
Dunlop Biomimetics takes the billions of years of evolution and natural selection and harnesses it into a sleek, stealth and effective weapon on the court.
The Cx Technology in in all Dunlop Biomimetic tennis racquets means that special consideration has been taken when considering the Cx factor, or the Drag Coefficient. The tapered beam cuts through air, reducing drag.
The anatomic construction of Dunlop Biomimetic racquets can be seen at the base of the racquet’s throat and imitates the ways in which natural bone structures move and respond to stress.
The two-part Biomimetic grommet system is made up of 3Dom pods that imitate cartilage and surround the actual (anti-friction) grommets. The pods provide cushioning, dampening and greater movement much like cartilage does for our skeletal system. The anti-friction grommets are modeled after the freedom of movement exhibited by sand sharks. Tiny ridges prevent the racquet string from digging into the grommets, providing more freedom of movement and additional power.
Dunlop Biomimetic tennis racquets have already been tested by the fiercest player in the world, Mother Nature. Take thousands of years of natural selection with you next time you step out on the court and show how natural selection works for you.
I watched Maria Sharapova in her three set victory over Heather Watson on the opening day of the 2011 US Open. Her coordination was erratic. She had almost twice the unforced errors of Watson (58 to 30) and four times the number of double faults (8 to 2). Yet, she had a lot more aces (5 to 0) and winners (41 to 9) than Watson.
Of course, she had other match statistics which show us an erratic performance, but you can get the picture from these. Sharapova was the winner, but she was erratic. She is a great player and because of that she was able to win in spite of her poor coordination. As I watched the match, I saw her shift back and forth between poor and good coordination. Sometimes she was on and sometimes she was off.
For many tennis players, poor coordination or an erratic performance is the difference between winning and losing a match. What causes lapses into poor coordination or this kind of erratic performance and what can a player do about it?
Keeping Track Of Your Rhythm And Timing
In my former TTT post about Improving Coordination, I talked about a player’s level of rhythm and timing as the basis of their level of coordination (and accuracy). Tennis players test and reinforce their rhythm and timing by bouncing the ball before their serve and swaying or dancing before they receive a serve. This is a good test of their current state of coordination and when their rhythm and timing are in good condition, it is a good way to reinforce that state.
Many Things Affects An Athletes Rhythm And Timing Performance
Emotional State: Calm confidence is generally the best emotional state for maintaining the highests levels of the coordination which comes from excellent rhythm and timing. Any other emotion can rob the player of their best set of resources. This is why Sharapova has her ritual between each point in a game. This helps her regain her calm confidence.
We see many players lose their calm confidence after a bad line call (or some other perceived problem) and some get so stuck in that upset state that they cannot play well enough to continue to win the match. Emotions like fear, anger, and dread interfere with the athletes signal transmission and processing equipment and change the rhythm at which the athletes brain is operating. One of the most common reactions involves acceleration of these processes and that changes the athletes rhythm and timing.
Some athletes seem to have better performance when they are angry (Nadal) and others seem to fall apart (Serena Williams, Andy Roddick). But, most athletes lose the match when they lose that calm confidence.
Hydration, Nutrition And Conditioning: Of course, hydration, nutrition and conditioning play a part in the maintenance of our effective rhythm and timing. If you have not effectively prepared your body for the match, your body may not have the physical resources to perform effectively. Your rhythm and timing is not only related to your conditioning, if you don’t have the appropriate hydration and nutrition, you body may need to shut down to survive.
Environmental Factors: This can include the weather and temperature and we all know that when conditions are too hot (or cold or wet or dry) it can affect the players performances. But, there are other environmental conditions which can affect the athletes performance.
Do you remember the ATP Rome tournament a couple of years ago when many players came down with some kind of flu-like illness? My belief is that something happened in the environment at that tourney which affected many of the players. My guess is that the players dressing rooms were freshly painted or had new carpeting or something like that. I have seen this kind of response in organizations, schools, and businesses, where some new chemical has been added to the environment and many people have flu-like symptoms in reaction to these chemicals.
Our reactions to environmental factors do not have to be raised to the level of illness for us to have our performance affected. Many athletes lose their good rhythm and timing because they are responding to some factor in their environment. This is one of the significant reasons why athletes can have really great coordination (rhythm and timing) in one match and the next day they have lost their coordination.
I believe that this susceptibility to environmental factors is one of the main reasons that many high level athletes have a rigid structure in their tournament lifestyle. They like to stay in the same room at the same hotel and eat the same foods and wear the same clothes. Many call it superstition, but for me it is a desire to keep all the environmental factors under control.
What can a player do in the middle of the match to get back on track?
One of the things we know that Sharapova does between each play in the game is walk away from the court, look at her racquet, and make a fist with her left hand. My guess is that she is using a technique to focus her mind and to connect to a state of excellent performance before the next serve. She has done this technique for years and overall it seems to be working for her.
But, when a player’s rituals are not working, what can they do to get back on track with their state? I can suggest a few things which will help break these inappropriate states for you.
Stop Your Stinking Thinking: If you have lost your calm confidence, that is the most important thing you need to recover to to be able to get back on track. If you hold on to your anger, fear, dread or other emotion which is interfering with your match, you must stop thinking what you are thinking (which is holding you in that inappropriate emotional state). One aspect of being in the wrong emotional state is compulsive and repetitive thoughts which hold you there. You have to take control of your thoughts and erase what you have been thinking from your mind.
If you don’t know how to stop your stinking thinking, There are professionals who can teach you how to do that. Of course, it is difficult to learn this during a match. You know if you are prone to stinking thinking, you should learn these techniques so you know how to stop it during your matches.
Develop And Use An Anchor For An Excellent State: This is what I think Sharapova does when she makes a fist with her left hand before each serve. She has connected a high-performance emotional state to the experience of that fist with her non-dominant hand. You really need someone who knows what they are doing to help you establish this anchor for you. Ask around to get someone to help you do this. You will find it very helpful for you to get back on track.
Racquet-Tap To Reset Your Energy System: Tap your racquet as if to test the tension of the strings. But, don’t tap it with your palm. Use the side of your hand (like a karate chop) and tap the strings at least 5 times. Don’t do it so hard that you hurt your hand (or your racquet). There are energy meridian points on your hand which you stimulate with this activity and this resets aspects of your energy systems. This is very helpful when your coordination is off and you can do this before every serve until you have got your rhythm and timing back on track.
Splash Cold Water On Your Face: If you recognize that you are losing (or have lost) your rhythm and timing, splash cold water on your face when you take your rests. This is is usually more powerful than the Racquet-Tap to get your rhythm and timing back on track.
It is common for your rhythm and timing to come and go during a match. But, these tools and techniques can help you get back on track.
Vera Zvonareva got a little emotional in the Family Circle Cup final in which she lost to Australia Samantha Stosur. We have embedded the video below which shows Vera’s outburst. I must admit it is actually good to see some emotion back in tennis, I think this is really lacking at the moment. Bring back the days of Marat Safin smashing a racquet every match.
We wanted to share a great new :30 sec video featuring world #10 ranked tennis player Gael Monfils. The twenty-three year-old Frenchman recently sat down to discuss his love for the game and reasons for making the switch to the EXO3 Rebel 95 racquet – one of the models in Prince’s new EXO3 line.
Anyone who is the least bit interested in tennis will surely confirm that Babolat products have a huge presence on the courts. From recreational and/or occasional participants to Professional players, one does not need to look far or hard to see Babolat’s logo all over the place!
The Wilson Six One tennis racquet family is one of the most widely used on the professional tour. The Six.One’s have also been a long-time favorite of skilled amateur players around the world. Wilson Sporting Goods, for 2012, has categorized the Six.One 95 BLX as a member of their “Control & Spin” series of tennis racquets.
The 
Wilson made some changes to their 
Wilson Sporting Goods has made some changes to their 
