Those Super Racquets

The names -YFG-50, Boron XT and the XRC -conjure up visions of supersonic test planes or supercharged racing cars. But the sobriquets belong to tennis racquets, crafted in strange shapes of exotic materials, and designed to bestow court greatness on weekend hackers. In search of a bigger "sweet spot," more power and control, manufacturers have imbedded boron fibers in an epoxy matrix, reinforced nylon throat pieces with quartz, turned to the builders of nuclear reactors for ultrasonic welding techniques and altered the spacing of strings. The physics laboratories at Princeton where Albert Einstein once worked have been used to experiment with variants of torque and longitudinal flex. Practically every element and compound known to modern chemistry has been molded, extruded or laminated. A few tennis technologists have even tried some new tricks with wood, all in hopes of providing instant improvement for the player.

Sporting goods stores and pro shops, long the subdued redoubt of the Wilson Jack Kramer Autograph and the Dunlop Maxply Fort, now offer such large and varied arrays of racquets that the average player is bound to be confused. Which of the gleaming new products will convert a peashooter serve into a Roscoe Tanner cannonball? Will the weekend buff find Chris Evert's steady groundstrokes in a $69 graphite frame by Yamaha, or is the operator so poor that the tool required is a $200 (unstrung) Aldila Cannon? The questions are important because the racquet is "an extension not just of arm but of self. Between points, a player can often be seen fondling a racquet that has served him well. A few bad shots, and it will bear the brunt of self-abasement as it is flung to the ground or hurled against a wall.

Fancy Stick. Many players swear by their new racquets. New Jersey Insurance Executive James Slote has bought five different racquets during the past two years and finally settled on the outsized Prince, which promises a sweet spot 3 1/2times that of normal racquets. Says Slote: "I hit more shots solidly. I'm very satisfied with it. Besides, the big thing is confidence. You do better with a racquet you have confidence in." Last week, after trying a friend's new Pancho Segura "SweetSpot" -notable for its wider spacing between strings near the rim than at the center. Manhattan Housewife Flip Breckenfeld offered to buy it on the spot. Said she: "I've never hit the ball so well."

Most experts, however, agree with Chicago Professional Calvin Head, who believes that the advantages of the new designs and materials are psychological. Says he: "We're all trying to find that little secret, but it's all in the mind." Says another pro who is disgusted by the stampede to new racquets: "People will do anything to improve their game except work on their strokes." Beverly Hills Tennis Shop Salesman Vinnie Thomas reports that most sales of the Prince are made to men over 40 searching for a tennis fountain of youth. Says Thomas: "Very few young people buy them." As for the young themselves. New Jersey Tournament Player Paul Barrett, 15, sums up: "When somebody shows up with a fancy stick, some other kid will say, 'Oh, you need a bionic racquet, huh?' Nobody wants to look like a sissy."

The final word, as usual, comes from California Teaching Pro Vic Braden, who insists: "I don't care what kind of racquet it is. I once saw Bobby Riggs beat a guy with a broom." Despite the testimonials -and brisk sales -for the most controversial of the new designs, the elephantine Prince Braden remains unimpressed. Says he: "The only difference the Prince racquet makes is that now when you serve, you will hit both your legs rather than just one."

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