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Dunlop’s FX Series Tennis Rackets Debut New Technologies

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In an effort to create “power at full force,” Dunlop needed to develop fresh technologies for its new FX Series of rackets. For the creation of an entirely new range of rackets — Dunlop will offer five frames in the series — the racket maker devised a fresh frame geometry and developed a new resin, all while using other technologies previously introduced in Dunlop rackets that were new to tennis. 

“The FX Series has been developed to create a racket with ultimate power, which allows players to swing at full force,” says Florian Straehle, Dunlop junior product manager. “The rackets are giving the players, besides the power, also more touch, more feel and more comfort.”

Dunlop introduces Power Boost Groove frame geometry, an aerodynamic head with a sharp shaft and wider throat to create more stability and also a larger sweet spot, resulting in more power. Testing in the Dunlop Srixon Kobe, Japan, engineering lab shows a 4.8 percent increase in rebound property at all impact points versus the same rackets without the groove, providing more power and consistency across the string bed. 

The groove is engineered into the frame under the grommet strip, allowing the grommet a greater deformation and strings more movement, leading to the larger sweet spot for power and comfort, Straehle says. To help with greater power distribution, the FX Series features the Power Grid String Tech from the CX Series, a pattern designed with the strings denser in the middle and wider at the top of the racket for even power distribution, especially toward the top of the racket.  “A bigger sweet spot allows the player to play with more confidence, especially on off-center hits,” Straehle says, further accentuating the benefits of the groove design. 

The FX Series introduces Flex Touch resin, a new material with a thermoplastic elastomer compound for high elasticity and vibration dampening properties. The resin is designed to increase touch and feel in the power-happy design. “The Flex Touch resin is a high-performance elastomer compound in the inside of the shaft area, due to the high elasticity, rebound and vibration dampening properties of the material, the negative vibrations will be filtered out and to the players will be provided an increased level of touch and feel without missing the ultimate power the FX Series provides to the players,” Straehle says. The Flex Touch resin is a new material and Dunlop is the first company to use it in tennis. 

The use of the Flex Touch resin didn’t stop Dunlop from continuing to incorporate Sonic Core with Infinergy technology, an expanded thermoplastic polyurethane created by BASF. The same BASF-created material as Boost cushioning technology found in Adidas shoes, the tennis version first appeared in Dunlop’s CX Series to help with reduced vibration and shock. It makes a return in the 2 and 10 o’clock areas of the FX frames. 

MORE: Dunlop Partners With BASF For Boost-Style Foam In Tennis Rackets

The release of the FX Series follows with debut of the control-oriented CX Series and the spin-centric SX Series, completing Dunlop’s remaking of its performance frame franchises and the renaming of the frames under the brand’s Elements of the Game concept meant to support consumer understanding of the main performance benefit of each series.  

The new FX Series includes the FX 500 Tour with a 98-square-inch head size and the heaviest weight at 10.8 ounces, while the FX 500, FX 500 LS and FX 500 Lite all have 100-square-inch head sizes and weights between 9.5 and 10.6 ounces. The FX 700 has a 107-square-inch head size. All frames feature a 16x19 string pattern. Prices range from $180 to $200.

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