Dunlop powers up the Biomimetic S8.0 Lite
August 24, 2012
Greenville, SC — ‘Power’ and ‘spin’ are two answers you’ll often get from players when asked how they’d like their racket to help them. Unfortunately, providing power and spin often means making a frame more stiff, which also makes it less comfortable. With its brand new S8.0 Lite, Dunlop has come up with a solution for this common issue. The S8.0 Lite has a rounded, 115” sq. TruOval head, 16×19 string pattern, and is packed with more Biomimetic technologies than any other racket. It’s these technologies, not greater stiffness, that give the S8.0 Lite its additional power and spin, and its flexibility (RA of 66) gives it uncommon feel for a racket its size. “This Biomimetic S8.0 Lite racket is unique to the marketplace,” said Hunter Hines, Director of Marketing and Product for Dunlop Racket Sports. “Typically frames that are 115” and larger are extremely stiff, with some reaching a 75 on the RA scale, in fact. What we’ve engineered with the S8.0 Lite is a racket that has tremendous power, but has a flex rating that falls in line with more control oriented rackets. This gives players lots of feel and comfort on shots, and, more importantly for some, less chance at hurting or re-injuring their arm.”
The technologies that provide the power, begin with a brand new surface texture: Aeroskin Cx. These aerodynamically engineered riblets represent an advancement over the original Aeroskin with their reconfigured shape that more closely resembles the skin of a shark. Aeroskin Cx reduces drag by up to 36%, which enhances a player’s swing speed, resulting in more power and greater access to spin.
NEW NAMING SYSTEM MAKES RACKET SELECTION EASIER
For 2013, Dunlop has renamed all its new rackets to help make the selection process easier. The main change is the addition of a letter prior to the racket number. Each racket name starts with either a ‘F’, ‘M’ or ‘S’, signifying a player’s swing speed and style. ‘F’ stands for Fast/Full, ‘M’ stands for Medium/Moderate, and ‘S’ stands for Short/Slow. Finally, the numbers have been changed from hundreds to a decimal system to signify the new molds. Since the S8.0 Lite is designed for players with shorter or slower swings, it has the S in front.
“Our 2013 racket line signals a new, modern direction for Dunlop,” said Kai Nitsche, V.P. and General Manager of Dunlop Sports Group Americas. “We are breaking out of our traditional mold with new frame shapes, new technologies, and we’re heavily investing in marketing the line in a number of ways: TV advertising, product videos, and a creative social media campaign, in addition to print. The tennis industry landscape is changing rapidly, and we’re in a great position to take advantage.”