The Evolution of the Blackburne Double Strung Tennis Racquet

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	First Prototype	The Blackburne Technological Evolution The Blackburne Double Strung Racquet has gone through many stages of evolution, with prototypes produced over the years in wood, aluminum, steel, fiberglass, Kevlar and ultimately graphite. Graphite for Stiffness and Strength It was not till the late 1970s or early 1980s that manufacturers began to understand the significance of racquet stiffness and its direct relationship to performance. We produced some of the earliest prototypes in graphite in association with Exxon and Babcock and Wilcox new materials divisions.
	Second Prototype	Graphite in those days was exceptionally expensive, but it did give the stiffness desired out. Space-Age Materials and Technology Our problem was that the huge string loading on the frame- some 5,000 lbs. created an inward "crunch effect which saw many of our earlier prototypes simply implode after stringing and before a single ball had been hit.
	Third Prototype	The Double Strung system requires twice the number of string-holes and, since they must be at the edge of the frame, all in the wrong places from an engineering and physics standpoint. We were lucky to have had two former NASA physicists on our research team and they brought with them not only knowledge of sophisticated materials used in the Space program but also the technology to enable the Blackburne Racquet to be made.
	Fourth Prototype	Stiffness, Strength, and Lightness Over a three year period, we experimented with some thirty different lay-up techniques of high-modulus graphite set in aero-space resin before finally achieving the stiffness, strength and lightness we needed. The actual design was achieved with an advanced and powerful Computer Aided Design (CAD) program. One of the interesting features that has emerged is that the head-frame of the BB racquet becomes some 30% stiffer after stringing, creating a box construction prized by structural engineers. Thus the Blackburne Racquet is exceptionally solid and is virtually devoid of undesirable twist and torque on impact found in other racquets.
	Fifth Prototype	Let the Racquet Do the Work Although very light, our racquet is intentionally engineered slightly head-heavy. It has been discovered that very light-headed racquets can cause problems with jarring to elbow and shoulder and as those who have experienced it know, there is nothing more painful than playing with tennis elbow.
	Sixth Prototype: 1995 DS 107 model	Our philosophy is that the ball, which weighs nearly two and a half ounces, needs something reasonably solid to hit it. For decades, many of the worlds most successful coaches have told their aspiring tennis players, let the racquet do the work. The Blackburne Racquet will do the work for you- even on off-centre hits and mis-hits. Most importantly, you will find that the more you play with the Blackburne Racquet, the easier you will be swinging and the better you will be playing!

How is this thing made?

I'd like to see the racquet hit a ball.

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