NEW PRINCE 03 SPEEDPORT & OZONE TOUR RACQUETS - FIRST LOOK!
What's All The Racquet got a first peek at the images for four of Prince's new sticks. Check them out. We don't need to go into all the technological features of the O3 line, you can read all about them in our previous article. And unfortunately we haven't had the opportunity to see these in person or hit with them yet (hint, hint Prince people), so we can only comment on the aesthetics.
O3 Speedport White - This is a very sharp looking racquet. The black and white lines really pop. II would think the white grip will either get pretty gnarly after awhile, or else you'll have to change it fairly often.
Ozone Tour (Tour Proven) - I'm guessing "Tour Proven" means they've play tested it, which is cool. Again, love the coloring and graphic design, and I'm a sucker for orange.
O3 Speedport Platinum - Truthfully, not that much to say here. And I was taught that if you don't have anything to say, maybe its best to not say anything...
O3 Speedport Gold (Game Improvement) - This is my favorite, mostly because it hearkens back to the days of the Prince Comp, which growing up was one of the first popular graphite racquets that I remember. We're talking the 1980's, just another illustration of the long history Prince has for leadership and innovation. They have a very similar look graphically, but with the new and improved O3 technology, of course.
November has been a HUGE month for What's All the Racquet. One, we've been scouring the Internet for good deals and creative gift giving ideas for the tennis (or other racquet sports) player in your life. If you can't find it in our guides...you're just not trying. Two, we saw Prince announce their new, cutting edge RECOIL string, due out in January. Three, we've added a new feature to the site, the Weekly Butt Cap - bringing much overdue attention to that plastic thingy that keeps your grip on your racquet. Four, we've added other racquet sports to the mix - badminton, racquetball, squash, platform tennis and ping pong. Hope you enjoy!
This definitely falls into the "form over function" category of tennis shoes, it is a collaboration between Lacoste and kidrobot (who makes cool, innovative toys, apparel and art).
There are three different styles, and each comes with its own customized PEECOL toy. According to the article, there are only 500 pairs in existence of the Missouri 85 with grey and white bones, the Revan 2 with tennis green and yellow icons, and the Revan 3 with eyeball print.
You can buy them at kidrobot HERE. They're $175 each, which is steep in my opinion. But fashion knows no budget I suppose.
What's All The Racquet has been covering the announcement of the innovative Prince RECOIL String on 11/20/07.
Our latest installment on this story, first looks at the Prince RECOIL packaging. Here are the two shots, one showing the on-package/removeable lenticular and one without.
This isn't just any packaging, this is packaging with a removable lenticular motion graphic. What the heck is lenticular motion you ask? It is a fancy way to say the convex printing method that looks different as you move it back and forth. The method is often used to communicate motion (think a baseball card where the player swings his bat as you swivel the card back and forth), and this is presumably how Prince is using it. If you remember, the new Prince RECOIL String is going to "self-straighten," so to speak, after making a shot. I'm assuming that you will either see the ball hit the strings and have them not move at all, or you will see them return to their original position.
This is one item in a collection of Soviet improvised items. They were by a young Russian, Vladimir Archipov. These items were made in the last twenty years and were made in Russia at a time when manufactured items were very hard to get, yet the aspirations for them were growing. One's desire for many household items, not to mention a sport you love, can overcome just about any difficulty if you want it bad enough.
This was made from Plastic bottle, cloth, elastic band. Its from the Gennadii Konychev, Ryazan region circa 2000. The creator took a plastic bottle and cut out something looking more or less like a shuttlecock. The stabilizers are supposed to be the feathers. And to soften the impact he covered the end with soft pieces of material and an rubber band.
KarmaLoop.com is much more of a fashion site than a performance tennis site, but we found some cool finds. We often cover classic tennis gear that has gotten a fashion makeover, these are just those types of clothes and footwear. Great gifts for the stylish people in your life.
Plus, they're having up to 75% off some items. Other great offers are below.
I know I love getting magazine subscriptions. They're easy, you know the recipient will likely enjoy and appreciate it, and there's no wrapping involved! Here are a few options for the tennis player in your life.
Tennis Magazineis the big dog in terms of tennis magazines. They bring the best writers, the best articles, and best instruction resources, gear and travel reviews.
Tennis Life Magazine, which I just learned it the fastest growing tennis magazine in the US, and has been for five straight years. They are the Official Magazine of the USTA Texas, Mid-Atlantic and Northern Sections and the Nevada Tennis Association. They seem to have more of an edge and a little more flair than Tennis.
If you have to replace your butt cap, you could do a lot worse than this one. A nice black butt cap with the "W" Wilson logo encapsulated in a red box. Of the Wilson logos, I like this one with the red box, causes it to pop more and an overall cleaner look.
Cyber Monday...the biggest online shopping day of the year. But really, let's face it, if you're shopping online, what the hell does the day matter...isn't that the whole point?
Costco.com:
Prince PT-1300 Indoor Table Tennis at costco.com - $349.99
Sears Friday & Saturday Ping-Pong Brand Qualifier 4 pc. Table Tennis Table - $99 (was $129)
This table provides a solid value in a qualtity regulation size table. The 4 piece design makes it easy to transport, assemble and play. The 1/2 in. play top is edgebanded to prevent clothes from snagging on the edges. The chassis features 1 in. round legs and 2 in. double wheel casters for ease of mobility. The table folds into either playback or storage positions, allowing for practice play and convenient storage.
We have Black Friday, we have Cyber Monday. What's All The Racquet has decided we also need Slap-Happy Saturday. The day of pure exhaustion after preparing for Thanksgiving, having Thanksgiving, and fighting through the malls on Black Friday. Congratulations for making it this far, enjoy your time off by getting in on these deals online. Oh...by the way, these are all women's products, since we figured you were the ones who did all the hard work on Thursday and Friday anyway...
Head Liquidmetal Racquetball Bag. The bag is medium/large size. It measures 29" X 14" X 10". Because of the very stylish design and the nice use of convienient pockets and pouches, the bag seems a lot smaller than it really is. It features a large inside compartment with a small zippered pouch for items such as your keys and small personal items. On the outside there is a racquetball compartment which holds 2-3 racquets. The other side features a medium size padded pouch that will hold your glasses and various other items. On one of the ends of the bag there is a medium sized zippered pouch which contains 3 different size pockets and on the other end there is a large zippered pouch that holds all of your wet clothes. The bag also contains on the outside a small pouch that is good for your cell phone and jewelry and a glove cord that will hold several gloves. This bag is no longer sold in stores. Retails for $49.95. This bag has been personally used by myself no more than a handfull of times(probably like 4 or 5 and that's it) but is in near mint condition. There are absolutely no rips, tears, holes, marks, or stains at all and definitely no signs of wear. If I had the plastic bag it came in along with the little nonsense papers that come with it, then you could easily mistaken it for a brand new bag.
Shuttlecock 101 - Part 2 - Feathered vs. Synthetic
Today, class, we talk about an important nuance of the shuttlecock. A much debated subject. A topic that has caused more than one barroom brawl. The issue, my friends, is feathered vs. synthetic shuttlecocks
Here's the deal with real feathers. They are brittle; and they can break easily and often need to be replaced several times during a game. So synthetic shuttlecocks have been developed that replace the feathers with a plastic skirt. This is likely what you're used to playing with at the neighborhood backyard BBQ.
Seasoned badminton players often refer to synthetic shuttlecocks as "plastics" and feathered shuttlecocks as "feathers." Clever...
Costs are similar for good quality shuttlecocks, but the plastics last much longer, they can often last several matches without having their flight screwed up.
From an actual playing standpoint, they are much different. "Plastics fly more slowly on initial impact, but slow down less towards the end of their flight. Feather shuttles may come off the strings at speeds in excess of 320 km/h (200 mph) but slow down faster as they drop. For this reason, feather shuttle make the game seem faster but also allow more time to play strokes."
Most experienced and skilful players greatly prefer feathers, and serious tournaments or leagues are almost always played using feather shuttlecocks. Experienced players generally prefer the "feel" of feathered shuttlecocks (don't we all), and assert that they are better able to control the flight of feathers than of plastics.
We sat in on a great conference cell yesterday held by Prince product managers, in which they walked us through their latest innovative product, Recoil String.
This comes at a time when polyester string is the only product innovation in recent memory, and the only string type that's been showing any noticeable growth. But in their words, this is "evolution not revolution." Recoil aims to bring revolution.
They have partnered with WL Gore, a leader in product innovations across many industries. Recoil uses Gore's Microweb technology, which is patent-pending. They expected that to move forward in about two weeks.
Recoil, at its essence, enables perpetual realignment w/ every shot, by producing 30% less friction on the strings. Think about that...with every shot the strings return to where they are supposed to be. If this works, which is apparently does, this could make a big difference, especially for competitive players. So far, WTA and ATP players gave positive feedback at the US Open.
So when can we get our hands on this? It starts shipping to retailers on 1/18/08. It is a 16 gauge string for the time being, and is completely manufactured in the US. Right now they are only going to sell sets, no reels yet.
One tip they gave...when you're using Recoil, lower your string weight by 10%
What's All the Racquet is trying to get the actual presentation, which will have tons more data, information and details about the technology. Stay tuned.
Here is the official press release:
RECOIL®: The Future of String is Here Prince Partners with Gore™ to Offer String That Provides Precise String Re-Alignment After Every Shot
Bordentown, NJ – November 20, 2007 – Imagine being able to strike every ball, on every point, of every match with the exact same, perfect string alignment, time, after time. Proper string alignment is something all serious players want and the reason they fix their strings after each point. Now, after three years of careful laboratory development and extensive playtesting, Prince, in partnership with W.L Gore and Associates (creators of GoreTex®) is proud to officially unveil RECOIL®, a premier string that delivers precise string realignment after every shot, ultimate control, superior playability and long-lasting performance.
With the introduction of RECOIL, Prince redefines a product category the way it did with the introduction of O3 technology in racquets, Precision Tube Technology in footwear and Aerotech Performance Technology in apparel.
“Without question, Recoil is one of the most impressive and important string advancements in recent years and poised to generate an immediate following on Tour and among frequent, serious players at all levels,” said Craig Brotman, owner of Pro Circuit Stringing and personal customization consultant for many top touring pros. “It takes the premium string category to an entirely new level, providing a host of never-before-seen benefits to players. Not only does it deliver precise string realignment after each shot, but it is one of the most comfortable, playable and durable strings available.”
The Science Behind RECOIL:
RECOIL utilizes a revolutionary coating called Gore MicroWeb Technology, a material made from a proprietary formulation of expanded polyTetraflourothylene (ePTFE). This coating provides an ultra-low friction surface, creating a combination of benefits never before achieved in string playability and design, including precise string realignment and drastically reduced string notching for increased durability. In addition, RECOIL’s advanced thermoplastic core and multi-layered construction with new high tenacity filaments provide the extra comfort and better feel players want from their string.
“The launch of Recoil is a testament to a dedicated team focused on creating, refining, and perfecting products that will take players to the next level,” said Doug Fonte, President of Prince Americas. “As with O3 technology in racquets, Precision Tube Technology in footwear and Aerotech in apparel, Recoil is poised to redefine a category and make an immediate impact on the sport.”
Prince has long been the industry leader in the string category. Not only did the company invent synthetic gut but Prince Synthetic Gut with Duraflex is currently tennis’ #1 best selling string, a position it has held for 23 straight quarters. RECOIL has already been playtested by a number of ATP and WTA and junior players and will be available to consumers worldwide beginning January 2008.
Players can find additional information, videos and facts regarding RECOIL on www.princetennis.com beginning January 2, 2008.
Babolat is now a major player in the racquet market, so it only stands to reason that they ought to have great butt caps. So far, this is our favorite from a design standpoint. A little more color, a better logo altogether than most other companies, and an overall more satisfying butt cap experience.
Vintage Fred Perry tennis balls in an unopened can. Can seems to be in pretty decent shape, a few dings here and there, but a very nice specimen. All metal can, holding three yellow balls.
Want to impress your friends by looking like the 3 time Wimbledon champion, and the last Englishman to win that tourney? We have the jacket for you. The Classic Fred Perry lightweight jacket.
An excellent piece about why Yonex badminton racquets are one of the best, if not the best, around. Badminton coach Kah Shin details exactly why Yonex is such a strong racquet, going point by point through all the features including: Nanoscience and isometric technology, the use of elastic titanium, a solid feel core, a new grommet system, a built in T-joint, control support caps, the use of titanium mesh and Armortech-800, and the Power Armor System. You'll note that What's All the Racquet has covered nanotechnology in tennis racquets numerous times (Nanotechnology in Tennis Racquets and Wilson K-Zen).
After all of that, the article wraps it up by saying that it all really comes down to your skill level not your racquet, which is why I appreciated the article more than most.
Holabird has some nice deals going on for women's K-Swiss kicks:
The Ascendor SLT redefines lightweight tennis footwear, utilizing innovative materials and technologies to maximize tennis players speed and agility. Upper: The unique DuraFlow upper combined with lightweight EVA and TPU Cushion Board provide the optimal balance between light weight and stability. DuraWrap LT high-abrasion toe guard. Midsole: Shock Spring cushioning technology. Outsole: Durable Aösta 7.0 rubber outsole. DragGuard in toe and heel with flex grooves in the forefoot create a durable barrier between the court and the foot. . MSRP:$104.95, Holabird Price: $79.95
The Glaciator SCD is designed to keep tennis players feet cool and dry in the heat of a match. Upper: Leather upper. Fautex moisture-management technology in the lining allows feet to stay drier and cooler. Stay-Tied Laces are designed to act as a "catch" to keep the laces tied. Heel-Grip Lining is made of interlocking fibers that grip the sock to minimize heel slippage. Midsole: ShockSpring cushioning located in the heel and forefoot for superior cushioning. Cushion Board construction. HDC (Heat Deflection Core) placed from heel-to-toe in the midsole deflects surface heat away from the foot. Ortholite Insole features moisture-management and anti-microbial properties that help keep feet cool and minimize the effects of perspiration. DRYZ Technology in the collar lining wicks away moisture from the foot, to a "smart foam," where it is quickly evaporated. Outsole: Aösta 7.0 Rubber Outsole with DuraWrap XDE high-abrasion toe-guard provides unsurpassed durability and abrasion-resistance. Forefoot flex grooves. MSRP:$100.00; Holabird price: $74.95
Classic Lady Leather. The original all leather tennis shoe, a Classic since 1966. Classic. The original all leather tennis shoe, a Classic since 1966. Signature three-piece toe, five-stripes and D-rings. Upper: Smooth full-grain leather upper. D-Ring lacing system for adjustable, secure fit. Midsole: Comfortable and durable EVA. Outsole: Molded rubber cupsole with full-length Poron sockliner. MSRP:$60.00, Holabird Price: $46.95
What's All The Racquet introduces racquetball with World Outdoor Racquetball!
Racquetball meets...well...I guess an outdoor handball court...meets some extreme sport I suppose. Not really sure what to make of this other than to say I'd like to play. Racquetball is fun. Terrible for your tennis game, but I've found it a good workout and a great way to get aggression out of your system.
Long a favorite with intermediate players and especially for DOUBLES play. Over-size head and rugged graphite and fibreglass frame construction to absorb the banging.
100-day Manufacturer's Warranty
SquashGear.com recommends that if you like this racquet you get one or two, because it has been discontinued by the manufacturer..
Let us learn about the Shuttlecock (a word I like saying nearly as much as "butt cap"). We Americans also call them "birdies." They may look funny...they may look like somebody tried to jam a bird into a ping pong ball...but they are one of the keys to the game of badminton.
A shuttlecock is a high-drag projectile used in the sport of badminton. It has an open conical shape: the cone is formed from sixteen overlapping goose feathers embedded into a rounded cork base. The cork is covered with thin leather. The shuttlecock's shape makes it extremely aerodynamically stable. Regardless of initial orientation, it will turn to fly cork first, and remain in the cork-first orientation. The name shuttlecock is frequently shortened to shuttle. The abbreviation cock is rarely used except in a jocular sense, due to its vulgar connotations. The "shuttle" part of the name was probably derived from its back-and-forth motion during the game, resembling the shuttle of a loom; the "cock" part of the name was probably derived from the resemblance of the feathers to a bird's cock.
A cool new site is letting the people rate what is and what is not a national icon for England. One such items up for vote is the Fred Perry Tennis Shirt.
A staple in the English wardrobe. Worn not only by tennis players but by just about every English subculture over the last forty years. A man in a Fred Perry shirt with the embroidered laurel leaf is nearly always English.
The one flaw in their program is, of course, that I'm a Yank. But I'm a big fan of the English, England, the Queen, and of course solid, classic tennis apparel. So I gave it a thumbs up. Give it a go.
This week we showcase the Replacement butt cap for Yonex racquets. A beautiful green with the snow white, "double Y" Yonex logo. This bad boy is a bargain at $2.00. And as the image clearly states, made in Japan.
FOR THE PLAYER WHO LIKES TO MAKE A STATEMENT adidas Barricade Shanghai Ltd.
Tennis-Warehouse has exclusive, limited editions of the Barricade commemorating the Shanghai Open. Both styles feature a gold dragon design and have a 6-month outsole durability guarantee. Funkarific gold dragon design, which runs from the heel to the lateral side of the shoe with gold accents on the eyelets, ankle collar, and tongue. Get this person the red pair, which will definitely get you noticed.
FOR THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A NEW RACQUET
Picking a racquet for someone else is risky, that's a personal purchase. But...if you want to wade into those waters, check out the Head Metallix 4 Racquet. The lightest and most maneuverable "4" series racquet from HEAD since the Ti. 4 racquets, the Metallix 4 offers excellent mobility from all areas of the court. With the stiffer Metallix material in the throat and the new HEAD Stabilizer system, this racquet blends maneuverability with a stable response.
IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GET YOUR VIDEO GAME ADDICT INTO TENNIS Prince Tennis Racquet Brackets for Wii
Prince has teamed up with Hong Kong-based Qualtech Global to make the brackets. Three color combinations, available only though Circuit City. MSRP is $14.99.
FOR THE PLAYER WHO LIVES IN A HOT CLIMATE (LIKE ME) Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Sports Towel
The Chilly Pad™ is made from a new "hyper-evaporative material" that retains water while remaining dry to the touch. So when its wet, the towel becomes considerably cooler than the outside air, so it helps you cool off. The cooling can last up to 4 hours, depending on the weather conditions. After that, all you need to do it re-wet the towel in hot or cold water and wring it out, and its cool again. Its machine washable and comes in the following colors: Optic Yellow, Khaki, Royal, Orange and Gray.
FOR THE TENNIS PLAY WHO HAS EVERYTHING Wilson Tennis Racquet Cover Wallet
A very creative and industrious person has decided to make wallets out of them. These are handmade, though, so I'm guessing inventories are limited. It measures approximately 4x6" when open and contains 2 inside pockets perfectly sized for credit cards and business cards. Sewn with heavy-duty nylon thread, the color is dark green vinyl with white lettering and black stitching. The inside pockets are brown.
FOR THE OLD SCHOOL TENNIS PLAYER WHITE TENNIS BALLS
White Tennis Balls are classy, stylish, and old-school preppy. They are a must for complete white attire when you are playing tennis. Perhaps you have the shoes, the shorts, the shirt, and maybe a hat, that are all white. Then surely decorum dictates having one or more generous tubes of four pristine, unmarked White Tennis Balls to make it all complete.
One 4-ball tube (4 balls) - $8
Four tubes (16 balls) - $28
Thirty tubes (120 balls) - $162
FOR THE CLUB-PLAYING LADY IN YOUR LIFE Ame & Lulu tennis racquet bags
The tennis racquet bags fit two oversize racquets, have zippered pockets for your keys and a comfortable strap to throw over your shoulder. The tennis tote bags have 5 compartments for all your tennis necessities plus a large Velcro compartment inside to hold your tennis racket. The totes measure 22 inches wide and 16 inches high. Plus all products are made in the USA. They have 12 racquet bags in their collection. Shown here are two of our favorites, the Cabana Stripe and the Snorkel. They run $100, which is not inexpensive. But I think the question is whether its TOO expensive to have a truly well-made, truly stylish, truly unique racquet bag. If you're a regular club player, we say its a bargain.
FOR THE SASSY & FASHIONABLE CLUB PLAYER Lily's of Beverly Hills "Cool Breeze" Tennis Dress
The "Cool Breeze," is a classic cut tennis dress, with a twist - i.e. funkadelic print. Very "cool," very hot.
FOR THE JUNIOR PLAYER IN YOUR LIFE Bucket of Balls from Gamma
The best gift, in my opinion, for a little one hoping to become a tennis great, is to enable practice. Practice, practice, practice. So get them a big, honking bucket of balls.
I know we're several months late on this news, so its not really an "announcement." But its newsworthy in that its our favorite racquet manufacturer, Head. And since we're broadening out horizons to include all racquet sports, we thought this might be of interest.
Badminton players are anticipating the launch of the new line of Badminton products from HEAD. Due to hit shelves in the summer of 2007, a complete line of HEAD racquets, bags, indoor shoes, apparel, strings, shuttlecocks and grips will be available at retailers worldwide.
Metallix Racquet Series
No chain is strong enough to harness the power of HEAD Metallix™. Made of a specially designed matrix of carbon fibers and a new crystalline metal alloy, Metallix™ is one of the lightest and strongest new materials available today.
The alloy's grain size is 1000 times smaller than that of a typical metal. The decreased grain size translates into increased performance, or, as the Hall-Petch Effect states: smaller grains – stronger material. The result is a lighter, stronger and more powerful racquet than ever before.
HEAD's new Top Cap creates a flat top surface on the handle, providing excellent hold on serving, maximum grip control for double play and optimal handling for fast speed reaction.
The Metallix Series includes the racquets Metallix™ 10000, 8000, 6000, 4000 and 2000.
Airflow Racquet Series
Light as air with fast maneuverability, HEAD Airflow racquets were designed for women who want to get the most out of their game. With perfect head-light balance and a slimmer, conical wooden grip handle, HEAD Airflow technology puts extra speed and control right into the palm of your hand. The Airflow racquet series consists of the racquets Airflow 5 and Airflow 3.
HEAD Shuttlecocks
HEAD shuttlecocks demonstrate consistent quality under varying conditions of play, providing accurate flight, optimal speed and top durability. Made from carefully selected natural raw materials, HEAD shuttles undergo strict production and quality control throughout the entire manufacturing process.
HEAD Pro Players Enjoy Success
HEAD’s professional Badminton players have already enjoyed the new line of products on the court. Top world player Anthony Clark and European champion Donna Kellogg join fellow HEAD players Mathias Boe, Carsten Mogensen, Simon Maunoury, Elodie Eymard, Thomas Quere, Kristof Hopp, Anastasia Russkikh, Richard Vaughan and Ekaterina Ananina and playing with the new Metallix Badminton Series racquets.
These players have already enjoyed tremendous success with the Metallix Badminton Series. In December 2006 Boe, of Denmark won the men’s doubles competition of the “Bulgarian Energetics” JSC Badminton Championship 2006, earning the first official victory for a HEAD badminton player on the IBF Badminton Circuit.
Fellow HEAD player Maunoury earned the title of French national champion in men’s singles in February 2007 and at the English National Championship HEAD players Clark and Kellogg snagged top honors in men’s doubles, mixed doubles and ladies doubles, respectively. Clark and Kellogg enjoyed continued success in March 2007 when they reached the semi finals of the All England Super Series tournament.
As of today, we're officially broadening our horizons, we have come to the realization that "racquets" are not the sole property of tennis. There are many other racquet sports that deserve more attention, such as: badminton, racquetball, squash and ping pong. OK...ping pong uses a paddle, but we love the game anyway so we made a small exception.
Nothing's going to change with our tennis coverage, we're still going to talk about tennis equipment and tennis related products and news, that's still our main focus. But look for more news and reviews on other racquet sports as well. Enjoy!
Here's our first entry, this time on Badminton. This sport is really something most of us relegate to the backyard during 4th of July picnics. But not so fast, this is a very real, very intense sport as we'll come to learn.
Let's start with the racquets. Long, thin, light - they almost look fragile but make no mistake, most of the technology in tennis racquets is in badminton racquets as well.
Case in point, just like there are different tennis racquets for different styles of play in tennis, so to with badminton. We came across a great explanation of different types of racquets with decent deals to boot. The brand reviews is called Prospeed, check it out.
Speedminton - If Sharapova likes it, can it be all that bad?
Speedminton. The ability to play "tennis" wherever you would like - the beach, the park, your back yard, wherever.
The "sport" uses an exclusive birdie called Speeder that is designed to fly fast and automatically start braking at the end of its flight ready for the return volley. These puppies can move up to 190 mph (Holy Crap!). Its for ages 8 and up and requires no net and no court. In fact, it can be played at night too with "Speedlights" attachments to make the birdies glow.
The Speedminton Fun Set includes:
- 2 Speedracquets: High quality, extruded Aluminum for lightness and maximum durability. Weighs just 6 oz, and is 23" long. Suits all ages.
- 3 Speeders: Made from patented, aerodynamic materials, each for a different kind of Play. One Fun Speeder for recreational play; one longer-distance, 190-mph Match Speeder; a Night Speeder for nighttime play.
- 4 Speedlights: For up to three hours of after dark play. Inserts into the cap of Night Speeder.
- 1 Speedbag: For carrying portability
- 1 Wind Ring: For play in windy conditions
- 1 Set Fun Court and Fun Guide-book: For those who love to compete! Eight cones to set up a competitive court
I don't know why they're referencing tennis, or why Sharapova's involved. Seems to me this would be a bigger draw for badminton players. But it does look like fun.
I love Fred Perry stuff. That is, I love the idea of classic tennis-wear. But, like many classic looks and brands, they sometimes get hijacked by groups who have no idea about what the brands used to stand for, but that's where the line between fashion and sport often gets blurred. This is a very clean looking shoe, and a VERY preppy look. Not my cup of tea, but a solid looking casual tennis shoe.
Ana Ivanovic sports a turquoise adidas dress in Madrid this week at the WTA Championships. Great lines on the dress, great color for Ana, and great photography on the right-most shot Mr. AP Photographer person.
We really have nothing else on this one. Nice win, happy birthday (it was her 20th).
We haven't been able to find this number for sale yet, but you can get her summer gear here.
Back on October 12th we covered an interesting item we came across a cool tennis-related product on Etsy - business card holders/wallets made out of old Wilson tennis racquet covers. Well, we ordered ourselves one to give as a Christmas gift, and it did not disappoint.
It is exactly as it appears in the images. More than that, its handmade and very well put together. In fact, knowing it was a handmade item, I was a little skeptical about quality, but it is very well made with solid construction.
If you have a tennis fan in your life, especially one who is old enough to have had one of these old-time racquet covers, this is a great gift.
Yonex RQS55 Receives Outstanding Performance Award
YONEX tennis racquet, RQS55, appeared on the September's German Tennis Magazine. The issue was about the comprehensive evaluation of the racquets for senior players. RQS55 received outstanding performance award because of its great control, power and comfort.
"RQS55 can be a big weapon especially for senior players because of its total balance. It gives the players right amount of power, control and comfort to execute the shots you need. The big sweet spot with the frame consistency even supports the players who don't have much head speed. This could be a choice of your racquet even if you are not powerful player, because the racquet itself is very light"
I wish I would have had one of these during my more competitive playing days in super hot weather. The only recourse I had back then was to either wet a regular towel and hang it on my head, or tie a wet bandanna around my neck (a la vintage Jimmy Connors).
The Chilly Pad™ is made from a new "hyper-evaporative material" that retains water while remaining dry to the touch. So when its wet, the towel becomes considerably cooler than the outside air, so it helps you cool off. The cooling can last up to 4 hours, depending on the weather conditions. After that, all you need to do it re-wet the towel in hot or cold water and wring it out, and its cool again. Its machine washable and comes in the following colors: Optic Yellow, Khaki, Royal, Orange and Gray.
Martina Hingis picks up new endorsement from Pablo Escobar
We talk about lots of tennis-related products...but we never had this in mind. Cocaine...Blow...Nose candy...Crack...Wacky dust...Angie...Base...Bernie's gold dust...California cornflakes...Friskie powder...Lady snow...Peruvian flake...Society high...Star-spangled powder...White mosquito...Zip...need more?
What can you say...you hope it isn't true, but you can't help but wonder when you hear comments like this one from Chris Evert:
"I'm not shocked, but I was very surprised...I think Martina in the past has always shown herself to be the consummate professional...But since she came back [from a three-year injury hiatus], I don't know her. I don't know her lifestyle, who she hangs out with. ...You can't believe it, but you can't not believe it. ...You know what, I don't like to make judgments about her. ...But, how many athletes have gone on and denied and denied and denied steroids and stuff. The truth always comes out."
Of all the pros, Hingis would been one of my last guesses, if this is true. If it is, we wish her well and hope she comes out of this OK.
Bordentown, NJ, October 30, 2007 – The last weekend in October proved to be an extremely successful one for Prince players, as they captured three tour titles, further increased the number of total wins attributed to the revolutionary O3 racquet technology and secured additional positions at the year end championships in Shanghai and Madrid.
Earlier this year, Prince, an iconic and industry-leading performance tennis brand, in partnership with Dallas-based eMedia EFX, completely redesigned www.princetennis.com, to deliver a robust brand site with ultimate functionality and unmatched user content. With the addition of interactive features and extensive product, player and program information, the site has seen increased web traffic, generated praise from web-savvy programmers and tennis-savvy consumers and recently took home two prestigious awards for overall development and creativity.
The new, fully-loaded website was awarded a Gold W3 award in the sports category as well as a Sports Standard of Excellence WebAward. The W3 Awards honor creative excellence online and recognizes the creative and marketing professionals behind these award-winning websites, while the WebAwards define themselves as the premier annual website award competition naming the best Web sites in 96 industries while setting the standard of excellence for all website development.
Tennis-Warehouse has exclusive, limited editions of the Barricade commemorating the Shanghai Open. Both styles feature a gold dragon design and have a 6-month outsole durability guarantee.
We could tell you all about the performance and features of the Barricade, but you already know that, especially if you've seen our last post on this subject. What we want to talk about is the funkarific gold dragon design, which runs from the heel to the lateral side of the shoe with gold accents on the eyelets, ankle collar, and tongue. Plus, one comes in red, which will definitely get you notices. Black tennis shoes have become common. Red shoes are much more memorable.
We're starting a new weekly tradition here at What's All The Racquet, called "The Weekly Butt Cap." Why, you ask? The answer is twofold. One, the butt cap has been long-neglected in racquet analysis. Sure, we hear about strings, the frame, overgrips, lead tape and vibration dampeners. But what about our little branded friend at the butt of our racquet. Two, we like saying "butt cap" and will do so as much as possible.
Today we bring you the Head Standard Butt Cap, in gray and black. Naturally, it is the replacement butt cap for Head racquets. Simple and classic, a nice butt cap for us all to get warmed up on, more exciting butt caps in the future.
OK, the product description says that this big ball is "Perfect for the tennis enthusiast, this fun ball is ideal for collecting player autographs."
I think it would be much more fun to work this ball into your normal play at your next match. Your opponent will think they're losing their mind. Much more fun than getting autographs.
I have a 2 year old daughter, whom I hope wants to play tennis someday. So I've started to think about how to teach her, and in doing so its made me remember what worked for me as a kid and what did not. And what worked when I taught kids myself, and what did not. I wish I had answers, but I do not yet.
I am hoping "Raising Big Smiling Tennis Kids" by Keith Kattan helps the cause. Ultimately we want our kids to smile playing tennis, no? The rest is all junk if they aren't having fun. If anyone's read it, let us know what you think.
Japan's been leading the way with robots for awhile now it seems. This is a very cool one, though, for us tennis players. It comes from Astro Research, this thing actually swings at the ball with a racquet instead of the cannon effect of normal ball machines.
Not knowing exactly how this thing operates, or what you're able to do with it (can't read Japanese), it seems to me that this would provide a much more realistic practice experience. With traditional ball machines, there is very little spin, the ball sort of comes at you in a flat and abnormal way (hard to articulate). If you're able to adjust the racquet for different spins, I can see this being a really useful machine. It would be more like a hitting partner and less like a ball machine.
The PENN Radical Championship Style Tennis Balls are made to last and improve all players tennis game. The extra duty balls have two different colored felts that are yellow and orange to produce optical spin. This simply means that you will be able to identify the rotation of the ball after it is hit. The PENN Radicals are an excellent teaching tennis ball for those players looking to learn or improve their topspin and backspin. These dual colored tennis balls make learning and playing tennis more exciting for players of all ages.
A few comments, if I may.
One, "optical spin" is patently absurd. All you're going to see is a different colored blur.
Two, the color of the ball simply cannot help you learn tennis. Wake up, don't look for short cuts, especially with the balls.
Three, what exactly are "radical balls," besides a nasty infection you can get by having unprotected sex?
NEW PRINCE 03 SPEEDPORT & OZONE TOUR RACQUETS - FIRST LOOK!
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