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Tennis Racquet Manufacturing |
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Tennis is now a popular sport and for many a very exciting one. Players just starting to learn the game must achieve a level of competence in order to enjoy the forgiving game of tennis. A tennis racquet is the important tool when playing the game of tennis because each play is focused on the swing, motion and position of the racquet. Therefore, when choosing a tennis racquet many factors come into play. Fortunately, the technology introduced new tennis rackets into the market place. This led a variety of choices for consumers to choose from. Some companies offer the convenience of tailoring a racket to a persons specifications, while others offer a racquet with a lot of power; and others simply enjoy the control of a steady racquet. With the introduction of this new technology the tennis racquet manufacturing business has sky-rocketed and the companies are moving forward. EARLY TENNIS RACQUETS The first tennis racquets were people’s actual hands. They smacked a ball back and forth with their palms. Around the 14th century, the Italians came up with an idea to create a wooden shaft with a tear drop head. (http://tennis.about.com/library/weekly/aa082001.htm) More and more thought went into improving the tennis racquet. It was not until the 1800’s when a set of rules and equipment were patented in London, which is basically the same game we play today. Wood was the most common material and was easy to work with. In creating these wooden racquets, one would consider how to make the racquet lighter in weight producing a quicker response by the players. Comparing and testing sizes of the handle or shaft and frame size were factors that aided in making a lighter racquet, thus enhancing the performance of the player. Around 1935, the “classic” prototype was created. It was 70 centimeters long, bulky and hard to move quickly. These racquets were costly and only came in one size, shape and string tension (http://www.otal.umd.edu/.)
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS As consumers, it can be hard to keep up with the latest technological advancement. Each day tests and demonstrations are created to accomplish the same goal that all tennis manufacturers attempt to reach: The “perfect” racquet design”. Performance testing was common with aluminum and steel material models. Then the idea of graphite frames and graphite blended materials, such as Kevlar were produced (http://wings.avkids.com/Tennis/Book/.)
Made of... In making a tennis racquet today, a Cornell University study stated that racquets are made of carbon fiber composites. Different racquets are filled with polyurethane foam to cut back on vibration while hitting the ball. Other racquet companies create their racquets to be hollow inside for the light-weight effect (Cornell.) Tennis companies produce a variety of racquets ranging from the beginner to professional players. Tennis racquets in general are made up of aluminum and composite (Composite Chart) “These composites are made up of layers of different types of materials such as graphite, fiberglass, silicon carbides, Kevlar and sometimes boron” (academy website) The lighter the racquet, the easier it is for a player to swing faster. With a larger head, the "sweet spot" increases making spin, control and power easier to produce. 1967 was the year aluminum and steel racquets were introduced to the playing field (Kreighbaum, 1996). Aluminum is a light metal, which allows a player to whip the racquet through the air. Since 1985, ceramic, a silicon derivative has been used in frames (Kreighbaum, 1996) Tennis frames have evolved a long way as well as the heads. They are aerodynamically sound and hollow. Aluminum, ceramic, and graphite were a result of the advancement of technology that changed the game for the consumer forever by making it easier to play the game.
Common Injury Tennis elbow is a major injury among tennis players caused by racquet vibration while playing tennis and tenses the muscle in the forearm and elbow. (http://www.racquetresearch.com/.) Manufacturers have tried creating products that eliminate tennis elbow. Using a slightly curved handle, which fits the outline of a player’s hand, forces the wrist down and reduces shock to the wrist (Kreighbaum, 1996). Latest Technology
One of Dunlop's latest ideas is the "hotmelt." A hotmelt is process
in which 250 degree molten graphite is dipped over the entire frame to
create more power (Hotmelt.)
Heads "NoShox" dampening system places a new types of foam called "memory
foam" placed in the middle frame of the racquet to create 27% less
vibration than ordinary racquets (Head.)
ProKennex designed the
“Reach Technology which
is a term meaning any racquet longer than the standard 27 inch length.
Reach racquets provide more power (leverage), extended reach, and provide
better angles when hitting the ball” (Reach.)
(www.tennis-warehouse.com/technologies.html)
So much goes into the production of a tennis racquet. All racquets are ranked by USRSA Measurements according to elbow, shoulder, and wrist safety; dexterity; efficiency; impact force; torque; shock; work; shoulder pull; shoulder, wrist, and elbow crunch; moment; flex; swing weight; and mass (Racquet Research)
FEATURE: (http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/ractechpage)
HEAD TECHNOLOGY
The newest technology
for the Head tennis racquet company is the Liquid Metal technology.
The idea behind this is that "no energy is lost on ball impact due to its
liquid atomic structure" (Liquid
Metal).
According to Tennis-Warehouse.com, racquets with Liquid Metal produces 29 percent more power than the Head Titanium racquets. The Liquid metal is placed strategically in four different places on the racquet head. The Head titanium racquet, which is composed of graphite and Titanium, is also a great racquet for the advanced intermediate category (Titanium vs Liquid Metal). “Titanium is the ninth most abundant element in the earth’s surface and is the fourth most used metal in industrial applications behind aluminum, iron and magnesium" (About Titanium.)
One can learn at a local tennis shop in Indianapolis, Indiana that 90% of Wilson, Prince, and Dunlap racquets are manufactured in China. The owner, Mike Reardon, orders racquets and accessories from Prince, Wilson and Dunlap plants in the United States, which communicate overseas from the manufacturing plants. CONCLUSION Each of the different tennis companies has different technologies (many) for each kind of racquets. Racquets vary from player to player according to the level of skill, spin on the ball, or how hard one hits it. Players planning to purchase a new racquet should test out different racquets for one that feels good/natural to hit the ball. Feeling a good racquet means letting the racquet become your arm. Does the racquet produce too much vibration? Does the racquet have enough control or power? Would a larger head on the racquet would increase the “sweet-spot” (the cleanest or ideal spot to hit the ball) and the players game? A lot of players like having a larger head for this reason alone: the larger the "center of percussion" (Jacobs, 1985 p.2) the better. With quickly changing technology, the tennis racquet manufacturing business has sky-rocketed; what will they think of next?
Sites to check out...
Reference Page
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/technologies.html http://www.racquetresearch.com/ May 31, 1998. http://www.dunlopsports.com/usa/index1.asp http://www.blackburneds.com/html/evolution.html (Blackburne Racquets Inc.) http://mst-online.nsu.edu/mstonline/manufacture/manufacturing3.htm (Reproduced by
permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc. http://www.tennisserver.com/set/set_02_05.html
(Tennis Server http://shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/~jmw1/Tennis1.htm http://www.mse.cornell.edu/courses/engri111/tennis.htm http://www.otal.umd.edu/~vg/amst205.S97/vj17/project5.html http://www.ultratennis.com/racquetpage/headlm.asp http://www.tennis.com/gear/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=45458&itype=1479 http://www.racquettech.com/sample_articles/december97/dec97.html Kreighbaum, Ellen. (1996). Sport and Fitness Equipment Design. Champaign, IL. Trabert, Tony. (2002). Tennis Past 50. US Library of Congress. MacCurdy, Doug. (1980). Sports Illustrated Tennis. New York, NY. Schweid, Jay. (2003, October). Frame Up. Tennis. p 80. Jacobs, James. (1985). Engineering Materials Technology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc.
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