Dezeen News: mixed doubles tennis player Brian Battistone turned heads at the U.S. Open this week with a two-handled tennis racket his playing partner has dubbed “the alien”.
The racket was first invented by Lionel Burt as a training device to build up strength on both sides of the body. Now produced by Natural Tennis, it is currently being used by just two tennis pros – brothers Brian and Dann Battistone, both of whom are partners in the company.
Brian Battistone first starting using the racket in training, but now he says he gains tactical advantages too. “I’m just able to hit any shot with either hand, so I have full reach on both sides,” he explained. Natural Tennis also claim the racket offers players more power, reach and stability, as well as the ability to disguise shots and confuse opponents.
The racket wasn’t able to produce a winning streak, however – Battistone and his mixed doubles partner Nicole Mellichar had only qualified for the U.S. Open as wildcards, and were knocked out in the first round.
We’ve recently been posting about the innovations and tweaks seen in sports equipment used by Paralympians – see all our stories about Paralympic design here.
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