Power Tennis Rackets

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Power shortage? California may have had one, but not tennis. You can have all the power you want on the court, and at bargain prices. Up until about 10 years ago, power was the holy grail for tennis racket makers because players rated it the most important parameter of racket performance. No more. Players are getting older, and their priorities are changing. Power is out, comfort is in. That's what tennis players are telling the companies that make tennis rackets. According to surveys conducted by industry sources, power has slipped to No. 3, with control being rated No. 2, and comfort No. 1. Comfort is now king.

Power rackets are designed stiff so that they return maximum energy to the ball. The downside is that these rackets transmit shock and vibration to the player's arm. Reduce stiffness and the racket absorbs more shock for comfort, but at the expense of power. Every racket is a compromise between power and comfort. You can't have both. Or at least, you couldn't, until now.

Wilson and Head each have developed innovative rackets, using radically different technologies to deliver power while being kind to the hands, wrists and arms of aging baby boomers and anyone else seeking a softer feel. Wilson's approach takes the one-piece racket and isolates the head from the handle with its Triad Hammer three-piece design. Wilson has added a shock-absorbing, isolating layer that it calls Iso-Zorb between the hoop and throat area. This allows the head to pivot slightly upon ball impact. Iso-Zorb is a butyl polymer with a durometer measurement of 33. That's just enough, Wilson says, to eliminate 60 percent of the shock from reaching the handle without creating a wet-noodle feel.

There are three models in the Triad Hammer line--the slickest being the 2.0, which features Wilson's Rollers technology. The Rollers, which replace the traditional grommets in the racket head, allow the strings to move in two directions, making for a softer stringbed. Benefits include more comfort and longer "dwell time" of the ball on the stringbed. The added dwell time gives the player more control.

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WILSON TRIAD 2.0

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VIBRATION TEST: Computer-generated wave patterns based on accelerometer readings show a 60 percent reduction in shock (initial impact of the ball) and vibration (resonance) in the Wilson Triad racket as compared to a conventional racket.

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Rollers allow the strings to move on impact, reducing shock and increasing the sweet spot. The frame's composite design produces a precise balance of stiffness, strength and weight. Wilson's five-layer Adrenaline string gives high dwell time and energy transfer for enhanced feel.

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