Favorite Finds: Weed Tennis Racquets

Are you hitting your overheads on the throat of your racquet? Do you need a larger hitting area to generate power and steady your game? Check out Weed Racquets. Weed is a manufacturer established in 2001 and based in the USA that concentrates on making the LARGEST HEAD SIZE ALLOWED, according to regulations from the International Tennis Federation (ITF)!

Patented Weed racquets, constructed of 100% braided graphite, include models that are 125 and 135 square inches. The large head size makes these racquets a favorite with tennis aficionados - from beginners to ranked players! Regular Weed customers are mainly avid senior tennis players who especially value Weed’s great customer service and racquet knowledge. The company is located just north of Columbus, OH.

The Weed Story:

The original Weed racquet was developed by Thurlow “Tad” Weed in the early 1970’s.  Tad had formerly enjoyed a position as placekicker for the Ohio State football team in the 1950’s, and eventually moved on to playing recreational tennis.  Being a “throat hitter” he wanted a racquet with a larger hitting area, so he made one!  

Weed racquets can be found at Amazon and at some tennis merchants.

Especially designed for control, the Weed X-One25 27.5 features a reduction of 10 square inches in head size and an increase in weight by roughly 0.5 ounces. A 28 mm cross-section makes for a solid feel when the ball impacts the racquet face. The super-sized head, light racquet weight and 27.5 inch length makes for great ground strokes, overheads and volleys! Purchase at Amazon for $189.95.

Presenting one of the largest sweet spots to be found in today’s tennis market, the Weed EXT 135 Blue has a cross-section that is 28 mm wide which creates a very solid feel at just about any point on the racquet face! A super-sized head and light racquet weight make for easy volleys and comfortable serves - perfect for mature tennis aficionados! This racquet is available at Amazon for $199.95.

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A Blast from the Past: Former Tennis Fashion Ideas for Today

From buttoned-up shirts and long sleeves paired with floor-length skirts and petticoats, to the skin-tight mini dresses of today, tennis fashion has certainly changed! There are some among the tennis-playing crowd who enjoy the role of “trendsetter.” These are the players who inspire fashion for future generations. Here are a few past examples of on-court looks that may have inspired present fashion – on and off the court!

	THEN: 1950’s tennis player, Gussie Moran (left) sports a bare midriff and a very short skirt which may be too revealing for this particular judge.
NOW: Serena William’s version: a bare midriff, uber-short skirt and some black-leather leg warmers!

THEN: In 1987, Chris Evert stopped play at the U. S. Open when her diamond-studded bracelet came off during a match. Tiffany’s, Bulgari and other jewelers were inspired to create similar pieces which became aptly known as “tennis bracelets.”

NOW: In 2005, Serena Williams lost one of her 14-karat gold earrings, reportedly valued at $40,000, during a U. S. Open match. Designed by Erica Courtney, the “Dream Catcher” earrings featured 13 carats of yellow and white diamonds in a platinum setting.

Did Lottie Dod inspire the modern tennis visor with her 1887 schoolgirl beanie?

THEN: At the 1985 Wimbledon tournament, Anne White wore this attention-grabbing unitard in her match with Pam Shriver.	NOW: The Williams Sisters out on the town with Serena sporting a black version of darned-near the same ensemble – with just a few more curves!

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Buy Pink Tennis Products. Support Breast Cancer Awareness

Wanna update your tennis wardrobe and help fight against breast cancer at the same time? Shop for Pink Products at Tennis Express. Your purchase will go towards a charitable donation from Tennis Express to Serve Up a Cure in Houston, Texas.

Among eligible products are Serena's Nike Smash Day Tennis Dress we've seen at US Open and several other pieces featured by top players, like Nike Smash Tennis Tank, Nike Smash Classic Pleated Skirt and Adidas Response Tennis Tank, as well as a number of racquets including new racquets from Wilson Blade BLX series.

The choice of products and selection of brands is rich and among the colors are not only pink and red, but also white and black.

Check out our selection of Pink Products

Loveall Acid Wash Tennis Peace Pink Tee - $35	Nike Set Point Graphic Tennis Tank - $40
Adidas Women`s Barricade Tennis Short - $34.99	Nike Women`s Border Tennis Skirt - $40
Asics Gel Resolution 3 Tennis Shoes - $104.95	New Balance WC900SL Tennis Shoes - $69
Wilson Hope Tennis Backpack - $44.95	Prince Tour Team Pink Six Pack Tennis Bag - $69
LACOSTE Goa Tennis Watch - $95	LACOSTE Women`s Palma Tennis Watch - $195

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Maria Sharapova. Fashion Profile

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova is a Russian professional tennis player and former World Number One. With three Grand Slam titles under her belt, she is no doubt wealthy, but one look will tell you that it is not tennis that brings in the lion’s share of Maria’s income…her style and beauty have garnered a HOST of sponsors, from mineral water to shoes!

Although not listed as one of her sponsors, Maria appears to be an admirer of Alexander McQueen fashion.

Maria tastefully reveals the charm and beauty of a red dress with Alexander McQueen pleated mini dress.	Maria shines at ESPY Awards 2011 adorned in head-to-toe McQueen!

Maria’s Sponsors include: Clear Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, Cole Haan Footwear, Evian Mineral Water, Head, Nike, Sony Ericsson, Tiffany & Co., and Tag Heuer Watches – making her a very, very wealthy girl! Maria also releases her own collection - Maria Sharapova by Cole Haan. Below are two photos from the spring Tag Heuer ad campaign featuring the Russian beauty. 

Even when she is not participating in an ad campaign, Maria glistens as shown below. She wears just enough makeup to highlight her best features and keeps it simple with accessories, adding an extra bit of sparkle!

 Our recommendation to Maria: Give your stylist a raise!

While Maria’s on-court style is ever tasteful, and color-coordinated, the Australian and French Open looks are frankly, bland!

Maria Sharapova at Australian Open 2011	Maria Sharapova at French Open 2011

With her fair skin, we prefer a little more POP in color, as with her looks at the BNP Paribas and Sony-Ericsson Tournaments (below).

Maria Sharapova at BNP Paribas 2011	Maria Sharapova at Sony Ericsson Open 2011

Finally…this photo from the 2011 spring campaign for Cole Haan shows with one snap of the camera why Maria Sharapova’s making the big bucks!

Check out Maria's on-court and off-court fashion

Nike Maria Ace Night Tennis Dress - $128	Alexander McQueen Red Mini Dress - $920
Nike Lunar Speed 3 Women's Tennis Shoes - $120	Alexander McQueen Faithful Bootie - $1039.50
Head Maria Sharapova Combi Tennis Bag - $84.95	Alexander McQueen Folk Small Shopper - $1540

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The Stick! Trends in Tennis Racquet Evolution

The game of tennis was originally invented by European monks who played for entertainment during religious ceremonies. As the ball was initially hit with it, you could say that the hand was the first “racquet.” A protective, leather covering soon followed, and as the game developed, a handle was incorporated in order to serve the ball and hit with more power. With continual changes to maximize its use, the tennis racquet evolved into a modern device that can launch a ball across a tennis court at over one hundred miles per hour.

1859-1865: An English lawyer named Harry Gem, along with a friend Augurio Perera, invented a game which was based on a Basque ball game. It incorporated the use of racquets and was played on a croquet lawn.

1873: Major Walter Clopton Wingfield created and patented a related game which he called sphairistike, defined from ancient Greek as “skill at playing at ball.” Sphairistike (or “sticky” as it came to be called) is said to have evolved into the game of tennis, but some think tennis actually originated with Gem and Perera, with Gem giving Perera most of the credit in a letter he wrote in 1874.

1873: Wingfield developed and sold equipment to accompany his patented lawn tennis game which included lopsided racquets.

1877: The first Wimbledon Championships were played in London.

Wingfield’s lopsided racquets were replaced by symmetrical racquets like the one seen here, a Spalding Windermere from the mid-1880s.

Two ads from 1885: Spalding Racquets -featuring The Windermere, The Kenwood, The Union Club, The Junior and The No. 1. Horsman Rackets -The Brighton.

A Spalding Domino made between 1915 and 1920: Featured a bare wood grip with a leather strap at the base. The butt is also bare wood which is eventually covered with leather or fabric until the 1960s or 70s when plastic caps begin to cover the butt.

1930s: While not very popular at the time, a number of metal head/wooden handled racquets (left) were developed - particularly from the Dayton Racquet Company. These racquets also sometimes had metal strings.

1960s: Howard Head introduced a modern metal racquet. He also bought the Prince Tennis Company.

1968: The aluminum Wilson T2000 (above bottom) was made famous by Jimmy Conners. Aluminum racquets were flexible and allowed for greater modifications and larger heads.

1976: Introduction of the "Prince Advantage," the first oversized racquet which brought about racquet size limitations created by the International Tennis Federation in 1979.

1980s: Graphite-composite racquets were developed - graphite fibers were combined with other materials like fiberglass, boron and titanium.

2000 and on: Racquet development has leveled off. While small changes to racquet weight, materials and aerodynamics will persist, these will probably not radically change performance. The present area of interest lies in optimal response and strengthening the frame for impact with the tennis ball.

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