New-model longer tennis rackets, some up to two inches
longer than conventional size, are profiled in today's WALL
STREET JOURNAL. Prince Sports Group is using Michael Chang, who
has used a longer model for over a year, as the focal point of
their ad campaign. But "while Prince is marketing three models
of long rackets very aggressively and expects the new breed to
revolutionize the $120 million-a-year U.S. market for rackets,
the leading racket seller with 40% market share, Wilson Sporting
Goods, is more restrained." John Embree, Business Dir of Wilson
Racquet Sports: "Some people are calling this a new revolution.
We don't subscribe to that theory." Wilson, who introduces their
longer model during the U.S. Open, is "targeting the older, age
40 to 65, recreational tennis player, not the ace." Brad
Patterson, Exec Dir of the Tennis Industry Association, thinks
the new rackets "are one reason the clouds over tennis might be
clearing," as retail sales for rackets were up about 5% in the
2nd quarter (Lee Lesczae, WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/17). TENNIS
magazine reviews the longer models in their current issue
(TENNIS, 9/95 issue).
