Wilson racket technology

The product specs on Wilson tennis rackets are enough to make your head spin: nCode technology, Triad technology with Iso.Zorb, Hyper Carbon, Dual Taper Beam, Wilson Stretch, Wilson Hammer, Karophite Black ... the list goes on and on. But what does it all mean, and more importantly, will it help your game?

I'm not going to try and explain all the different technologies because a) I don't know enough about them myself, and b) you can get that information from the manufacturer's website if you're really interested. The cynic in me says all this is pure marketing BS, designed to pull the wool over the consumer's eyes and make us think the product is better than it really is. But I do believe that Wilson knows a lot about making rackets!

Will it help your game?

We all know that Roger Federer, whom many believe to be the greatest tennis player of all time, plays with a Wilson racket. As did Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and many other past and current tennis stars. And no doubt Wilson pays them a lot of money to do so, but the fact is these guys and gals wouldn't use them if they were detrimental to their chances of success. So at the very least we can say Wilson rackets are no worse than Slazenger, Dunlop, Babolat or Head rackets.

But does that mean that you or I will automatically become better players by playing with one ourselves (because remember: there's also the small matters of natural talent, good coaching from an early age, and of course countless hours on the practice courts that make these players the champions they are). Well yes, I do believe that choosing the right racket can make a positive difference to the average recreational player's game.

Advances in racket technology

There is no doubt that racket technology has come a long way in the last 30 years or so. Think back to the Borg era when wooden rackets were all the rage; these dictated that tennis was a game of touch and finesse as it just wasn't possible to get the kind of power that we're so used to seeing nowadays; slice and low bounce were the order of the day. Then metal rackets were introduced and the change was dramatic - the increased power and bigger sweet spots on these rackets created a new breed of player who could simply overpower their opponents on the court.

Today the choice is not as stark, but choosing an inferior racket can certainly put you at a disadvantage if your opponents are all using better ones.
So yes, your choice of racket can certainly make a difference. Today's larger heads with their bigger sweet spots are a lot more forgiving for the average recreational or club player. So irrespective of the marketing hype, know that Wilson's lighter, more powerful rackets will ensure you're not left behind in the tennis arms race. And no, it doesn't really matter what you call the particular variety of space-age materials used in their construction!