A racquet is a sports implement, used for hitting a ball or shuttlecock in games such as squash, tennis, and badminton. In these games, the term “racket” may also refer to the bat that the player uses. A related term meaning an item of sporting equipment is kit (equipment). As well as being used for striking balls, rackets are frequently used to strike other surfaces for recreational purposes. In this article, we will discuss the type of racquet, one of the tennis greats uses!
Roger Federer
Roger Federer, born 8 August 1981, is a Swiss professional tennis player who is ranked No. 11 in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He has won 20 Grand Slam men’s singles titles, an all-time record shared with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Federer has been world No.1 in the ATP rankings a total of 310 weeks – including a record 237 consecutive weeks – and has finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. Federer has won 103 ATP singles titles, the second most of all-time behind Jimmy Conors, including a record six ATP Finals.
Federer has played in an era where he dominated men’s tennis together with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who have been collectively referred to as the Big Three and are widely considered three of the greatest tennis players of all time.
The history of tennis racquets
Rackets used to be rather heavy. The Jaques of London company says that in 1885, “the average weight of a tennis racquet was 27 ounces.” In 1968, Wilson introduced the first aluminum racket. It weighed about half as much (12 oz) and was much more flexible than the old one.
The idea for the head of a tennis racket is that it should be big enough to protect the hand or arm from a fierce shot but small enough not to get in the way while hitting the ball at an angle. On some modern-day rackets, there’s room for less than 250 square inches of space at the head.
The first tennis racquet
The history of tennis racquets is long and has evolved over generations. The first tennis racquet was created by Louis Hellier, a French immigrant to Canada.
It was made out of wood and used for playing the game of “rackets”, which is very similar to what we know as modern-day tennis. The two main competitors during this era were Rackets and Squash rackets.
Today, the equipment that players use is lighter than they originally were because of cheaper materials that can be used to create them.
What racquet does Federer use
Roger Federer currently uses a Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph, often shortened to the RF97A. Federer has used this frame since 2014, and the only changes since have been the paint jobs for different seasons and limited edition colors used at the Laver Cup.
Overview of Federer’s racquet
With the Pro Staff RF97 Autograph v13 Wilson updates Roger Federer’s racquet with a new cosmetic but keeps everything else the same, including the magical target specs and sublime feel that Roger Federer helped engineer with the original red/black version. Like the previous generation, this update features the same silky texture and elegant simplicity. It also features a small silhouette of Federer, laser-engraved graphics, and a reproduction of Federer’s signature. As a member of the classic Pro Staff family, this racquet features Wilson’s timeless Pro Staff formula, including a braided graphite/aramid layup, headlight balance, thin beam, and Perimeter Weighting System. Featuring a slightly wider, more angular beam than the traditional box beam of Original 6.0s, this racquet blends surgical control and feel with a dash of modern power.
Conclusion
Engineered for one of the greatest players of all time, the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 v13 plays just like the previous three versions with sleek black cosmetics with nods to the past. The Pro Staff RF97 Autograph impressed our playtesters at the baseline with its plow through, stability, feel and control. From all corners of the world, our playtesters raved about this racquet’s stability at the net, and several players called it one of the best volleying racquets on the market. Nothing unusual, when it comes to mind that it’s meant for one of the best players of all time.