Character of Battistone brothers transcends racquet novelty

By JEFFREY DUNHAM
Aug 6, 11:42 pm EDT

Brian and Dann Battistone are the No. 308 ranked doubles team in the world. This might not sound very impressive, but their desire to help juniors and to build enthusiasm for the sport is. In a time when tennis is competing with other sports for youth participation (not to mention the Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3), perhaps an unusual angle is needed to get their attention. This angle happens to come in the form of a racquet with a wishbone-shaped handle.

Brian, 28, and Dann, 31, had actually given up the professional tennis tour several years ago before rediscovering the game via this unusual racquet. While Dann employs a more traditional approach to ground strokes and serves, Brian often resorts to a hand-switching, volleyball-leaping serve that shocks his opponents as much by its appearance as by its extreme pace.

"It helps with reflex volleys," Brian says of the racquet. "Other players are not used to the ball coming off the racquet at these angles."

One thing that was clear during the brothers' dismissal of the wild card team of Americans Travis Helgeson and Eric Nunez today was that volleys could be angled off quickly and acutely. Helgeson and Nunez were frequently caught off guard by the sharpness of some of the angles coming off the Battistones' racquets.

However, there did appear to be an occasional drawback to such extra appendages on a usually single-handled stick. Dann appeared unable to get the racquet out of the way in time for a shot that was clearly sailing long.

"It is too unwieldy," was the assessment of Randy Cummings, tournament photographer and tennis instructor.

Indeed, there are times when the racquet's maneuverability at the net may be called into question.

But the brothers have learned to use the physically altered racquet to positively alter their outlooks.

"We definitely appreciate the game more now," Brian said in assessment of their relatively advanced ages in terms of professional tennis playing careers. "We have long term goals, but we realize the longevity of a professional tennis player is limited."

The brothers have found a renewed purpose in their playing by helping to develop young players. They are currently developing a junior team in Los Angeles, where they hope to teach the simple fundamentals of the game. The racquet can help them do that, according to Brian.

"The kids can learn a simple stroke based on fully turning their shoulders," Brian suggested. "At the same time, it is something experimental and creative."

Proposing something experimental and creative in a sport as deeply bound to tradition as tennis could prove to be a challenge, and Brian is aware of this. However, he is also aware of the entertainment value of the sport and how important it is to have a hook or, in this case, an angle, through which to spark interest.

Clearly, the brothers mean what they say, as they took it upon themselves to involve several youths in a practice session today. The thrill of hitting with two professionals, as well as the revolutionary way of hitting the ball with this bizarre racquet, fully engaged them for about an hour this afternoon. Hopefully, this is one hour of many more practice sessions to come.