At the U.S. Open this week, mixed doubles player Brian Battistone managed to snag a bit of the spotlight — albeit, not for his tennis skills. What caught viewers’ attention was the pair of hedge clippers he appeared to be slinging on the court.
Well, what looked like a dangerous set of gardening tools was actually a double-handled tennis racket. The story behind the distinct design (created by inventor Lionel Burt, produced by Natural Tennis) is that the two handles, fixed in right angles in relation to the head, allow players to play the same strokes on either sides of the body. In theory, it strengthens the muscles bilaterally, developing them at an equal pace. Battistone and brother Dann Battistone, seemingly the only two players who use it, became investors in Burt’s invention six years ago. But as the old saying goes, a racket is only as good as its player. While Battistone has risen over the years in doubles rankings as high as 88th, he and partner Nicole Mellichor, unfortunately, didn’t make it past the first round.
The U.S. Open concludes Sunday, September 9.