Composite Frame

Most rackets are now made of composite materials including carbon fiber or fiberglass, metals such as titanium alloys, or ceramics. Not only does the improved strength to weight ratio of the carbon fiber materials allow the rackets to be lighter, it also allows much greater control of the manufacturing process, and the qualities of the racket.

Advantages of composite frames:

1. Carbon composites allow the distribution of the weight around the racket to be managed much more accurately and specifically. This means that rackets can be weighted to suit more playing and swing styles, and to allow both weaker and stronger players to have characteristics that suit them, including weight, balance, and swing weight.
2. Another advantage of carbon composites is that they allow the manufacturers to manage the flex pattern of the racket. In other words, by managing the relative stiffness at various points on the frame, they can adjust where and how the racket flexes during play. This is often a more important factor than any other in how a racket feels.
3. The increased relative strength and malleability of carbon composites also allowed new racket designs that were impossible to create with wood.
4. Carbon composite rackets are relatively immune to changes in humidity and temperature (within reason), and therefore don’t warp like wood rackets used to sometimes. And the materials retain their integrity for much longer.
5. Composite rackets make it easier to attach (and replace) a separate handle, made of materials optimized for that task.
6. The increased strength of composite rackets in all directions allows them to be strung with less risk of breakage or damage to the frame. And it also makes them much less likely to break during play.

It is worth noting that since the sport’s switch to carbon or graphite composite frames about thirty years ago, the actual underlying technology of tennis rackets has changed very little. Despite marketing efforts aimed at making each year’s frames seem vastly superior to earlier models, most of the changes have been relatively minor and incremental. There have been a few moderately significant designs (the wide body racket, for example), but the materials and methods are essentially the same as they have been, with a new coat of paint and graphics for each year.