Strawberries and TeXtreme? Carbon fibre enters the world of tennis

Sports goods manufacturer, Prince, has chosen TeXtreme Spread Tow reinforcements for use in its new collection of tennis racquets.

TeXtreme is a new generation of carbon fibre material based on using ‘Spread Tows’ instead of yarns to achieve materials that are used to produce ultra lightweight and high-performance products.

TeXtreme technology is said to achieve better properties on weight, stiffness, strength, etc. compared to those using other conventional carbon fibre materials.

“By adding TeXtreme to the frame of the racquet, we are able to provide superior torsional stability which results in increased power and control.  The optimal structure of the TeXtreme carbon fibre material gives mechanical benefits without losing the material characteristics of the fibre for optimal performance,” exlplained Tyler Herring, Vice President Product & Marketing, Prince Global Sports.

Prince’s new collection features the addition of TeXtreme Spread Tow fabrics, which are created with a thinner structure and straighter carbon fibres to create a composite material that is 20 percent lighter in weight with improved stiffness. 

By applying this material in the shaft and lower hoop with a 45˚ orientation, racquet twisting is reportedly reduced by 25 percent without increased weight.

Many sports have seen the use of TeXtreme, says the company, including Formula 1 racing, Americas Cup, NASCAR, Le Mans, ice hockey, bicycles, table tennis and surfing.