HEAD & WEDGE VARIETIES

The Wright & Ditson All American 1933 and the Prince Woodie 1980 are two examples of open-heart wooden rackets. Prince, with the Woodie, achieved a high-performance oversize racket. With the introduction of metal, many brands manufactured rackets with open throats and concave bridges. The evolution of metal rackets is extensive, starting from the Birmal in 1924 to the latest models of the late ’80s, with numerous designs of the head and throat. The Grays Cambridge 1935 model is particularly interesting, as it combines a wooden head and grip with an iron throat. We can observe oval, round, pentagonal, drop-shaped, diamond-shaped, balloon-shaped models… always aiming to achieve an optimal power-to-impact ratio. 

In these three models, Hazell’s Green 1937, Le Coq Sportif Concept 3 1982, and Volkl Super G1 2015, we can see an 80-year evolution of the trident-shaped heart of the racket. The design of the first sought lightweight and reinforcement of the heart to 

prevent breakage, while the Volkl trident model with an open bridge aimed to achieve a soft impact and greater power. 

We can observe many more inventions such as the Prince CTS Thunderstick 1989 with a thickness of 3.5 cm, the inclined head of the Snauwaert Ergonom, the curved grip of the Paradigma, and the symmetry achieved with the straight bridge of the Yonnex R7… all in search of the perfect balance of weight, power, control, and vibrations. 


Wright & Ditson All American 1933


Grays Cambridge 1935


Hazell’s Green 1937


Spalding Kro Flite 1938


Dunlop UDL 1969


Dunlop International Metall 1971


Völkl Zebra 1972


Head Master II 1974


Fischer Powerglass Mid 1978


Fred Perry Steel 1978


ProKennex Duro Flex 1979


Fischer Super From Mid 1980

v


Head direcctor 1980


Prince Woodie 1980


Le coq Sportif 3 concept 1982


Wilson J.Kramer MidSize 1982


Wilson Legacy 1982


Fischer King Size 1983


Snauwaert Ergonom 1983


Puma Boris Beker 1984


Rossignol F200 Carbon 3 1984


Fischer ultra lite 1988


Yonnex R-7 1989


Prince CTS Thunderstik 1989


Paradigma Ergostar S-Code 2016


Volkl super G1 2015