Dunlop has unveiled its new super premium CX Series tennis racket range, its most technologically advanced to date.
Powered by Srixon technology, the CX Series has been developed over the past 18 months to provide users with increased power, comfort and control. The CX Series is designed for the modern player, with Dunlop’s research and development team identifying that many performance rackets are underpowered towards the top of the racket.
Modern day players now hit the ball with more spin, and at the top of the racket as opposed to the centre. Dunlop has designed the CX Series to have a 30 per cent larger sweet spot, so players can play with more confidence, particularly on off-centre hits. The CX Series is endorsed by Dunlop’s Tour Team players including multiple Grand Slam finalist Kevin Anderson and Jamie Murray, Heather Watson and Taylor Townsend, who will use the rackets during the 2019 season.
Kiyoshi Ikawa, Head of Product Planning and Promotion for SRI, said: “The CX Series is our flagship racket launch for 2019 and has been designed solely with the players’ needs in mind. We’re dedicated to providing the highest quality products available and the CX Series features the latest technology. The new range has options for players of all ages and abilities, providing them with increased power, control and spin, as well as a larger sweet spot, to help players nurture their ability and fuel their love and passion for tennis.”
The increased power is derived partly from the design of the frame. Sonic Core made with Infinergy by BASF allows users to hit harder, cleaner shots due to increased rebound height upon the ball impacting with the racket. Infinergy is the world’s first E-TPU (expanded thermoplastic polyurethane) developed by BASF and is a very light, superelastic material.
Players can enjoy greater comfort as Sonic Core made with Infinergy reduces impact shock by reducing vibration. During testing, Dunlop found that the utilisation of this technology increased the damping ratio by 37 per cent when compared with standard carbon fibre rackets.
Dunlop has expertly worked on the geometry of the frame, with a thinner front edge enabling more frame compression and an increased sweet spot. The shape of the frame has also been designed with the modern player in mind, with sharper angles making it easier to cut through the air to reach shots.
Complementing the frame, the strings have been developed with Power Grid String Tech which offers a pattern that’s dense in the middle of the racket and wider at the top. This redesign is to create more even power distribution, especially towards the top of the racket which is utilised more often by the modern-day player. The overall string grid area has been increased by 22 per cent by making the main strings ten per cent wider and cross strings 11 per cent wider. This results in greater string movement, allowing more power and spin generation. The grid area in the centre of the racket has been concentrated by reducing the cross string spacing by seven per cent to give players more control. Working in tandem with the redesigned frame, these subtle changes contribute to a 30 per cent larger sweet spot and allows users to play with more confidence, particularly on off-centre hits.
The rackets all utilise the Flying D design concept to ensure the same look and feel across the whole range. The rackets have black matte frames and contain red detailing to align with the instantly recognisable Dunlop Flying D logo. The objective is to use one core design strategy that will extend to all Dunlop racket sport ranges and provide easy brand recognition for consumers.
THE RANGE
CX 200 TOUR 18×20 – Provides ultimate control and is designed for advanced players with big swings. The racket has excellent feel and allows for aggressive shots without fear of over hitting. Endorsed by Kevin Anderson. This model will be available to consumers 1st November 2018. All other models in the range will be available from 1st January 2019.
CX 200 TOUR 16×19 – Designed for advanced players with big swings, this provides increased control and spin. The racket has excellent feel and allows for aggressive shots with additional spin. Endorsed by Max Purcell.
CX 200 – Blend control with power and take control of the game with the precision of the CX 200. The racket provides extra power and spin as well as being fast and manoeuvrable, making it ideal for advanced and intermediate players. Endorsed by Jamie Murray, Bjorn Fratangelo, Taylor Townsend, Donald Young and Misaki Doi.
CX 200+ – Has the same benefits as the CX 200 but boasts a slightly longer handle for extended reach and extra power.
CX 200 LS – A lightweight version of the CX 200, the CX 200 LS helps develop the speed and power of your game while retaining a feel and control for every shot. Designed for game improvers, advanced juniors and intermediate players. Endorsed by Heather Watson.
CX 400 – The lightest CX model, the CX 400 provides a fusion of power, control and spin. It has the largest head size of the CX range allowing players to more easily generate shot power, ideal for those looking to improve their game. Endorsed by Yui Kamiji.
The CX Series racket range is powered by technology from Srixon, a fellow subsidiary of Dunlop’s parent company, Sumitomo Rubber Industries that specialises in tennis and golf. The companies’ collaborative engineering combines over 100 years of experience to create premium rackets that quickly adapt and empower players to freely play their own game. Prices of the CX Series range from €199.95 to €239.95.
