A revolutionary racquet debuts

By Coach Tom Kosinski Sports Central Columnist

Hello, everyone! Hey, the French was great, wasn't it? Who would have ever believed that Alberto Costa would have made it all the way to the final again? This time, he got "bitten" by the "Mosquito," Juan Carlos Ferraro. And how about my new favorite, Justine Henin-Hardenne? Hooray, someone has finally come along who can kick Venus and Serena Williams' butts.

Speaking of new champions, I just received word from X-45 Corporation that they are ready to go into production on the X-45 Pro tennis racquet. As our own Dr. Jay Bewley wrote about recently, technology keeps getting better everyday in the tennis world. Now there is something revolutionary coming.

X-45 Corporation is a new entry to the tennis racquet market. Founded and run by Frank Kuncz in Miami, X-45 (www.x-45.com) is a design house that has spent the last several years developing and patenting skateboard and skate technology advances. Yep, extreme sports. Now they are entering the tennis world with the patented design X-45 Pro.

Named for its 45-degree rotated-head, the X-45 Pro was designed by first looking at the mechanics of hitting a tennis ball, not by trying to improve the existing frame designs available today. Kuncz then designed a racket that is a pure extension of the arm.

"Our 'Power-Active-Area' patented system makes the term sweet spot obsolete. You will not find a better playing or feeling racquet on the market today," said Kuncz. Integral to the design is the rotated head and an advanced grip and handle system.

The handle is actually separate from the frame, which is different then conventional racquets. It is fused to the head and shaft under extreme pressure to form a perfect vibration dampening and solid feeling racquet. The single shaft shape makes the frame lightening quick when you swing it.

While the initial production sample have only been here for a couple of days, I like the way it feels. It still seems odd when you look at its offset head shape, but it feels just like traditional frames when you swing it. I've noticed some extra power in my serve, and my slice backhand has more bite then it did at the peak of my prime.

Actually, it feels and sounds like an Italian sports car in my hand. The hot red racquet with yellow grommet strip looks cool. Even though I get a lot of stares when I hit with the samples, I really like the X-45 Pro. I'm thinking of making them my weapon of choice.

X-45 Corporation will begin production and sales of the racquets in July, with two versions, a 28 mm beam thickness version for recreational and older players, and a 22 mm beam thickness version for intermediates through professional players. For more information, visit the X-45 Corporation web site for more information.

There you have it, the latest innovation in racquets available today. Hey, Dr. Jay, what do you think?

Gotta go, so everyone stay cool, and may all your shots be winners! See you during the "Championships" ...

Article courtesy of Sports Central.