Condition

9

10: New
9: Mint
8: Excellent
7: Good
6: Fair
5: Average
4: Below Average
3: Poor

| Rarity

9

10: Impossibly rare
9: Extremely rare
8: Hard to find
7: Fairly rare
6: Uncommon
5: Common
<4: Big Seller

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About This Racket

The Blackburne DS 107 tennis racket boasts a revolutionary ‘double-strung’ design, featuring two sets of strings, or string beds, situated on either side of the frame. This innovative racket was conceived by Robin Blackburne, a British wine merchant and inventor residing in Bermuda, and was developed over a span of 20 years by Blackburne Advanced Racquet Systems. Interestingly, the story of the Blackburne racket bears striking similarities to the infamous Spaghetti stringing affair.Throughout its development, the Blackburne double-strung racket underwent significant transformations, leveraging computer-aided design (CAD) and multiple prototypes crafted from a range of materials, including wood, aluminum, steel, fiberglass, Kevlar, and ultimately, graphite. However, early prototypes often succumbed to implosion due to the high loading of the additional string bed. The double-strung system required twice the number of grommet holes, complicating the development process due to their placement at the frame’s edge. To overcome these challenges, the project enlisted the expertise of two former NASA physicists and tested approximately thirty high-modulus graphite layering techniques before achieving the necessary stiffness and strength.

The DS 107 model is characterized by a slightly head-heavy design, featuring a 107 square inch head that positions it between a mid-plus and small oversize racket. In contrast, the DS 97 model, with a 97 square inch head, is geared towards advanced players. Both models incorporate ‘caterpillar’ design vibration dampers, which enhance the overall playing experience.The racket’s primary selling point lies in its ability to minimize edge shots and mis-hits by approximately 50%, thanks to its unique design, which presents a plane of strings to the ball with no frame protruding, thereby increasing the effective hitting area. This design also enables players to generate heavy top spin or back-spin shots without the trailing edge catching.

Restringing the Blackburne double-strung racket is a distinctive process that requires twice as much string and time compared to conventional rackets. The manufacturer recommends stringing the lower bed first using machine clamps and the upper bed with floating clamps, adjusting tension to compensate for potential loss. Weaving the crosses on the upper bed can be a challenging task due to obstruction by the lower bed, often necessitating the use of a teaspoon to assist with the final crosses.Initially, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) banned the racket for nearly a decade, but it was eventually approved in 1995 for ITF and USTA sanctioned play.

Despite being hand-crafted and produced in limited quantities, the racket has sold a modest 15,000 units worldwide, originally priced at $199, and was endorsed by former world No. 4 Roscoe Tanner. Due to its limited production, the racket is now quite hard to find.

Specifications(👋 not yet accurate….check back soon)

Gallery