What is a tennis racquet made of?

Answer 1

Until the 1970's virtually all tennis racquets were made of wood with leather grips. Typically, the racquets were 27 inches in length, had a head size of about 65 square inches, and weighed about 13 ounces. Manufacturing innovations (new inventions) have radically changed the racquet in modern tennis, and some say, the character of the game. At first, companies introduced racquet frames made of new materials, such as steel and aluminum. Later, frames made of graphite and graphite blended with other material, such as Kevlar were produced. Other changes were in the dimensions of the head size. Light, oversize racquets weighing 10 or 11 ounces, with a typical head size of 110 square inches became very popular. These changes made the game much easier for lower level players, and helped the "tennis boom" from the late 1970's through the early 1980's. Many top players found the racquets improved their play as well. Since then, manufacturers have offered almost endless combinations of materials and designs in an attempt to further improve racquet performance. Some examples are: light racquets with heavy or "hammer" heads; "widebody" racquets with thicker or tapered heads and shafts; racquets with gigantic heads up to 145 square inches; exotic racquet head shapes, such as triangles, hexagons and fans; extra long racquets, ranging up to an amazing 32 inches in length; ultra light racquets weighing as little as 8 and 1/2 ounces, strung. New materials, such as boron and titanium have constantly been introduced and combined in different amounts with: aluminum, fiberglass and graphite. Few high level players have adopted the more extreme designs. However, the new racquet technology has been widely accepted in competitive and recreational tennis. It is no longer even possible to buy a "conventional" wooden frame racquets in sports stores. Most professional players play with graphite frames with a head size ranging between 85 and 110 square inches. Increasingly, pro players have experimented with or switched to racquets that are 28 inches in length. This is an inch more than the conventional 27 inch frames of a few years ago. A few players, mainly on women's tours, have also switched to mild "widebodies", racquets with thicker or tapered beams. For most of the history of tennis, there were almost no limitations placed on racquet dimensions by regulatory authorities. The only limits were that the surface of the racquet should be flat, and consist (made up) of a pattern of crossed strings of generally uniform density (thickness), free of "attached objects" other than those to limit vibration or reduce wear. Recently, the ever more extreme designs have lead the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to limit the frame dimensions. As of January 1997, the length of the frame was limited to 29 inches for professional play. This same rule will apply to all sanctioned play, amateur or professional, beginning January 1, 2000. In addition, the ITF has adopted limitations on racquet head size. The width of the frame cannot exceed 12 and 1/12 inches in width. The stringing surface cannot exceed 15 and 1/2 inches in length or 11 and 1/12 inches in overall width. While this eliminates the more outrageous extremes, it still allows for a 29 inch racquet with a head size of 135 square inches. This head size is more than twice that of the original wooden racquet.

Answer 2

Basically, the "head" or top of a modern racquet is shaped by extruding materials through a forming device. Holes are then punched in the head, so that "grommets" (tiny plastic or rubber pieces) may be inserted, through which strings may be installed (n.b., not all racquets are strung at the time of manufacturer, as many players prefer to use their own strings and/or string tension); the grommets prevent the string from chafing against the sides of the racquet. A "grip" or handle is slid onto the head, and either welded or glued in place, although, in some cases, the head and grip may be made in one piece. A leather or plastic grip is then wrapped around the grip, so that the player can hold the racquet more easily. For further information, refer to the links, below.