by Ariana D’Avanzo
While the first two columns here discussed the physical properties that go into selecting the racquet, this week will look at something equally as important: the racquet brand.
Currently, there are a total of 17 brands on the market that you can choose from but the top three competing tennis brands are Wilson, Prince and Head.
First off: Wilson. The Wilson brand is an American company that was created in 1913; they produced some of the first natural gut tennis strings. Wilson racquets tend to have more flex in the swing, which allows the ball to go deeper into the court with less power from the player. One thing to remember is that Wilson racquets have a dense string pattern. This means that there is less space between each string, which results in a natural slice in the players hit.
Prince, which is another American company that originated in 1970, is known for creating the first tennis ball machine. With this brand, the sweet spot is located in the center of the head, which results in the ball staying under more control and being more direct. Prince is known for its oversized tennis racquet: the heads tend to be slightly wider when compared to other brands.
The brand Head was founded in Delaware in 1950 and its headquarters is now located in Austria and Netherlands. This company is known for creating the first metal tennis racquet, making the transition from wood. Head racquets tend to have a looser string patter, which creates a natural topspin. These racquets are also known for their light weight. Around 30 percent of the top 100 tennis players on the ATP Tour, which is a worldwide tennis tour for men, are playing with the Head brand.
Babolat is a smaller brand that is making a surge as one of the better brands on the market. This French company was created in 1875 and is the inventor of the tennis string. These racquets are known for their power, which can result in a strong serve.
Babolat racquets are produced within multiple series; each series has their own creative team and each team creates a racquet that has a specialty. The Babolat Pure Control Team produces red racquets with white stripes that are made for control. The Babolat AeroPro Drive, which comprise black racquets with yellow stripes, are racquets that are known for providing head speed and spin. Within each series there are multiple racquets that have different perks.
Every brand has its specialty, but in the end you — the player — have to play with multiple brands and multiple styles to see what fits you best. Choosing your racquet is a hard decision, one that requires a lot of thought. The racquet itself has a large role in determining the outcome of the match. But, in the end, the best way of choosing a racquet is trying out multiple styles to see what racquet speaks to you.