Word: stringings
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...Luxilon shot can be traced back to 1997, when Gustavo Kuerten, a gangly, low-ranked Brazilian player, decided to string his racket with a co-polymer monofilament designed by Luxilon Industries, a small Belgian company specializing in medical sutures and bra straps (it still makes both). Kuerten confounded opponents with his aggressive, dipping shots, winning three French Open Championships and reaching number one. He credited Luxilon for a crucial role in his unlikely ascent. (See pictures of Wimbledon...
Today, natural gut strings - the strands of sterilized cow entrails once used by most professionals - have all but disappeared from pro tennis. At this year's French Open beginning May 24, 65% of men and 45% of women will use a Luxilon string, and almost all those who don't will use an imitation. This despite the fact that the family-owned company based in Antwerp refuses to pay top players to use its products and requires most to buy the string - almost unheard of in the freebie-filled world of professional tennis...
...Luxilon shot" all down to Luxilon string? In a 2006 article titled "The Inch that Changed Tennis Forever," Rod Cross, a physics professor at the University of Sydney, argued that the innovation in equipment that transformed topspin from a looping, defensive shot into a dive-bombing, offensive play actually happened in the late 1970s, when equipment makers widened the heads of professional rackets from nine inches to 10 (they also dropped wood for metal and eventually graphite). The extra inch allowed players to tilt the racket forward and swing from low to high without worrying about clipping the edge...
...even as strings offer greater potential for spin, players need technique to fulfill that potential. As Miller says, "the most important factor in the generation of spin is racket speed." Research by Cross at the University of Sydney has shown that pro tennis players have much less feel for strings than they think, and tend to overestimate their importance. A study published last year found that 90% of professionals could not feel a 6 lb. (2.7 kg) difference in the tension of strings in two different frames - even though most professionals insist on exacting string specifications for their matches...
...downs of the 2009 campaign have not only given the team many memorable moments, but, more importantly, have revealed the foundations of a strong team for next season.After a pair of preseason tournament wins at the Miken Classic and the Highlander Classic, the Crimson suffered a string of losses to Ivy League opponents. But a late-season turnaround gave Harvard the opportunity to win it all.With a trip to the Ivy League Championship Series on the line, the Crimson ultimately dropped both games of its final doubleheader against Dartmouth to relinquish the Ivy North Division title.“Obviously...