The step from table tennis to tennis may seem large, but for the folks at STIGA, the two sports have progressed side by side since the company’s start in 1944. Did you know that in the 1970s, we sponsored the up-and-coming tennis star Mats Wilander? As early as the 1950s, we carried several tennis rackets in our range, but because the Swedish population wasn’t all that interested in tennis at the time, these rackets were discontinued after only a few years.
Then, in the mid-1970s, we renewed our tennis product line. We launched Short Tennis, described as “real tennis but on a smaller scale”, as a new aid for tennis training and created in collaboration with the Swedish Tennis Federation. Short Tennis was played on a badminton court with special, moulded plastic rackets and a slow-bouncing ball. The racket weight was specially adapted, as was the distribution of the centre of gravity. These rackets were designed for use in schools by beginners and youth who wanted to learn to play real tennis.
With STIGA employee and Småland federation coach Mikael Gad at the helm, the new initiative began with STIGA’s development of eight racket models in 45 variants to find the best characteristics. We’re very happy to say that we still use this method today, together with players around the world, in the development of new products!
