If one of your tennis concerns is what grip to use, this racket might just give you a headache. A normal looking racket until you get down to the two handles. Think of a divining rod with strings.
Lionel Burt, a USPTA pro, invented this racket as an answer to his unusual way of playing. Burt plays with two forehands and just tosses the racket back and forth between his left and right hand. This style got to be a problem when he played better and quicker players. Burt’s answer was a racket with two handles at 45 degrees to reduce the juggling.
This racket, called “The Natural,” is currently used by Dann and Brian Battistone. The Battistones are professional doubles players currently ranked in the top 300.They had some success with The Natural by reaching the finals of a challenger tennis tournament. This is not bad considering that Dann at 31 years old and Brian at 29, had never got out of the 800 rankings before using The Natural. In fact, the Battistones have purchased the patent from Lionel Burt and now are the sole owners and sellers of The Natural.
One of the first questions that's raised is if it is an official tennis racket. The racket is legal and is accepted by the International Tennis Federation. The head size, length and grip size are similar to one handle rackets. The tricky part is gripping the handles because of the angle of the handles. For more information go to www.naturaltennis.com.
According to Burt and the Battistones, there are one is big advantage to The Natural. It is a healthy option because the angled handles allow the wrist, hand and elbow to line up in a more natural position thus reducing stress. It also provides a balance use of the body which reduces ailments often associated with repetitive use of one side exclusively.
On another note, Brian Battistone has developed a serve much like the jump serve in volleyball. Check out the wild serve and the racket in the video below.
So when you feel like your losing grip of your tennis game, try out this double handle stick and get swinging.
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