Wilson enters the Platform Tennis market

The announcement by Wilson Sporting Goods Company that it was entering the platform tennis market with a line of paddles and paddle accessories was made at a press conference at the U.S. Open tennis tournament.

In a separate news release, it was indicated that development of the new platform tennis paddles stemmed from the technology used in Wilson’s tennis racquets. All four paddles would be constructed of molded graphite. The new models were designated Hammer 9, Hammer 8, Pro Staff 6, and Pro Staff 5. The numbers assigned to each paddle corresponded to a specific “Power Series” rating that fit a certain style of play.

Source: Platform Tennis News, Summer & Fall 1995

Separately, Wilson had acquired the Vittert V30 ball business from Hedstrom so they now could supply both balls and paddles. This development became an issue for A2Z/Viking Athletics as Wilson no longer would supply them with balls as they were a competitor in the paddle business. This forced Viking to enter the ball manufacturing business – see also A2Z Acquires Marcraft’s Platform Tennis Business