Kristianne Bontempo | Towpath Tennis Employee | Online Store ManagerThe winter season has always been a busy time for racquet purchases-why you ask? It's the perfect opportunity between the busy high school, summer and USTA seasons to demo a racquet and get comfortable handling it before matches start up again. Also, there's something about the new year that always gets players in the mood for a racquet makeover-new racquet, new game? Well racquet vendors sure seem to think so too as we are now fully stocked with some of the most buzzed about racquets on the market. Here are a few we'd like to highlight which are all available to demo in-house or to purchase at www.towpathtennisshop.com!
Specs
Headsize: 100 sq. in.
Length: 26.8"
Beam Width: 27/22.5/21mm
Weight Strung: 270g/(9.5 oz.)
Racquet/Player Type: Beginner-Intermediate
Racquet/Player Type: Beginner-Intermediate
Color(s): Blue/Navy/Coral
Composition/Construction: Graphite/Graphene XT
String Pattern(Mains X Crosses): 16 x 19(standard) or 16 x 16
Recommended String Tension: 48-57 lbs.
Balance: 34.5cm/(13.6 in.)
Grommet Technology: ASP (Adaptive Stringing Pattern)-Racquet comes with 16 x 16 grommets installed.
Frame Technology: Graphene XT
Grip Type: Hydrosorb Pro
Towpath Recommended String: Head Hawk Touch
What's so special about it?
The Graphene XT technology. It increases the weight in the top of the frame to the handle in order to provide better energy transfer, increased swing weight and a higher sweet spot for more power. It also features your choice of string pattern. 16x16 grommets provide more spin and power, or if you want more control and feel pop in the 16x19 grommets.
Why do we like it?
Versatility! The Head Graphene XT Instinct Rev Pro is not only lightweight with a uniquely smaller length to increase stroke speed, but this tennis racquet accommodates to your playing style by providing TWO string patterns! Its selling features make this racquet very maneuverable for beginners, intermediates and up-and-coming juniors. Try the series! Head Graphene XT Instinct S is slightly heavier with a standard length and string pattern, but is still a great option for beginner-intermediate players. The Head Graphene XT Instinct MP is slightly heavier than the Instinct S and was built with the intermediate-advanced player in mind. Did we mention it's Maria Sharapova's racquet of choice!
The Graphene XT technology. It increases the weight in the top of the frame to the handle in order to provide better energy transfer, increased swing weight and a higher sweet spot for more power. It also features your choice of string pattern. 16x16 grommets provide more spin and power, or if you want more control and feel pop in the 16x19 grommets.
Why do we like it?
Versatility! The Head Graphene XT Instinct Rev Pro is not only lightweight with a uniquely smaller length to increase stroke speed, but this tennis racquet accommodates to your playing style by providing TWO string patterns! Its selling features make this racquet very maneuverable for beginners, intermediates and up-and-coming juniors. Try the series! Head Graphene XT Instinct S is slightly heavier with a standard length and string pattern, but is still a great option for beginner-intermediate players. The Head Graphene XT Instinct MP is slightly heavier than the Instinct S and was built with the intermediate-advanced player in mind. Did we mention it's Maria Sharapova's racquet of choice!
Specs
Headsize: 100 sq. in
Length: 27"
Beam Width: 23.5/26/23mm
Weight Strung: 317.5 g/(11.2 oz)
Racquet/Player Type: Intermediate-Advanced
Racquet/Player Type: Intermediate-Advanced
Color(s): Black/White/Blue
Composition/Construction: Graphite
String Pattern(Mains X Crosses): 16x19
Recommended String Tension: 50-59 lbs.
Balance: 32.89cm/(12.95 in)/4 points HL
Grommet Technology: Woofer
Frame Technology: GT Technology, Cortex Technology, Elliptic Geometry, FSI Technology, EVO BEAM
Grip Type: Syntec Pro
Towpath Recommended String: Babolat RPM Blast
What's so special about it?
The higher sweet spot! Interesting fact, the Babolat Pure Drive was built based off the data racquet engineers gathered from the Babolat Play racquet, which uniquely tracks your strokes, shot power and impact location of the ball. They began to see a trend where players were hitting much higher on the sweet spot, so what did they do? Duh, raise it! They do this with FSI technology, which also gives players a more responsive contact zone.
Why do we like it?
The higher sweet spot! Interesting fact, the Babolat Pure Drive was built based off the data racquet engineers gathered from the Babolat Play racquet, which uniquely tracks your strokes, shot power and impact location of the ball. They began to see a trend where players were hitting much higher on the sweet spot, so what did they do? Duh, raise it! They do this with FSI technology, which also gives players a more responsive contact zone.
Why do we like it?
User-friendly! The Babolat Pure Drive is one of the game's most popular tennis racquets for a reason. It's the perfect balance of power and feel for recreational and competitive players alike who want to improve consistency and depth on all shots. For a lighter more manageable feel, try the series! The Babolat Pure Drive Team and Babolat Pure Drive Lite are great for players looking for pace and spin in a lightweight package.
Wilson Burn 100S Tennis RacquetSpecs
Headsize: 100 sq. in
Length: 27"
Length: 27"
Beam Width: 25mm Dual Beam Width
Weight Strung: 303 g/(10.7 oz)
Racquet/Player Type: Intermediate-Advanced
Color(s): Black/Orange/Lime
Composition/Construction: Carbon Fiber, Spin Effect, X2 Shaft
String Pattern(Mains X Crosses): 18x16
Recommended String Tension: 51-61 lbs.
Balance: 33 cm/(13 in)/4 points HL
Grommet Technology: Parallel Drilling
Frame Technology: Carbon Fiber
Grip Type: Wilson Sublime
Frame Technology: Carbon Fiber
Grip Type: Wilson Sublime
Towpath Recommended String: Wilson Revolve
What's so special about it?
Power! Launched at the Australian Open by tennis professionals Kei Nishikori and Simona Halep, this new line of Wilson racquets is built with explosive power in mind. The Wilson Burn contains a high performance carbon fiber frame, which increases stiffness giving players immense power in their ground-strokes. It also offers a longer handle for more leverage for two-handed backhanders and those with extreme grip changes.
Why do we like it?
Power! Launched at the Australian Open by tennis professionals Kei Nishikori and Simona Halep, this new line of Wilson racquets is built with explosive power in mind. The Wilson Burn contains a high performance carbon fiber frame, which increases stiffness giving players immense power in their ground-strokes. It also offers a longer handle for more leverage for two-handed backhanders and those with extreme grip changes.
Why do we like it?
Power! The Wilson Burn was designed to make an impression with base-liners in mind. Built with a bigger, more forgiving sweet spot, this racquet allows players with fast swing types to be aggressive with their shots. The Burn Spin series (100S, 100LS and 100ULS) is equipped with Spin Effect technology which allows players of all levels to produce significantly more spin without changing their swing. The Wilson Burn line will be available to demo or purchase by mid-February.
These may be the newest racquets of 2015, but don't forget we have over 90 racquet demos for you to try here at the club ranging from Wilson, Babolat, Head, Dunlop, Gamma, Prince, Asics and Yonex. When it comes to racquet selection, speak with our knowledgeable staff about what racquet will suit your playing style best or check us out online to see what we have in stock. Happy playing!
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