The new racket was invented and designed by USPTA pro Lionel Burt and is currently used by professional doubles team Dann and Brian Battistone.

It grabbed our attention because the American brothers have been having some success on the road with it the boys are now well inside the top 300 in the ATP world doubles list and reached the final of a Challenger recently.

Just as incredible as the design itself is the way Brian Battistone plays he hits forehands off both wings and has perfected a unique volleyball-like jump serve. It has to be seen to be believed.

Anyway, we wanted to know a bit more about this piece of kit so we rattled off an email to the man behind this incredible racket, Mr Burt

Tennishead: How much does one of these cost?
Lionel Burt: $200 on average.

TH: Is there just one version of the frame?
LB: Yes, but there are four different lengths of frame to choose from.

TH: How do tennis players get their hands on one?
LB: Weve just launched our Natural Tennis website everything you need to know is on there.

TH: Does the extra handle make the racket heavy? Or unwieldy?
LB: No. If the added weight were out from the hand it would matter. But seeing as its close to the hand its not a problem.

TH: How long did it take to develop?
LB: It has undergone about six evolutions over a period of about 18 years. It wasnt until recently, however, that we had the financial backing and the players to make it happen.

TH: Where did the inspiration come from?
LB: I worked as a golf pro for many years and my body took on a permanent curvature from twisting to the same side all the time. I took up tennis, playing with a standard racket, and juggling it from hand to hand playing a forehand off both sides so that I would get an even work-out on both sides. This worked OK while I was hitting against lousy players but when I got better and my opponents got better, the ball came too fast to allow for a tossing of the racket to the other hand, securing the proper grip and making the appropriate stroke.

TH: And that led to The Natural
LB: The only solution was to have two handles so that no juggling was required. Not only did it provide me with a healthier way to play in a balanced, bilateral style but it actually turned out to be a considerable competitive advantage over other players whose reach and power on the backhand side could not match the aggressiveness of a forehand with either hand. As to this point, I will quote what Roger Federer said after the mugging he experienced in the French Open from Rafael Nadal. He playslike a forehand off both sides because he plays with an open stance from the baseline. I cant do that so I lose a metre or two here and there. So he has a huge advantage in this aspect. I have been saying that for quite a while but who the hell am I? But when Roger says it, I guess we should pay attention.

LB: Was it a battle to get the ITF to accept it was legal?
TH: No. Aside from restrictions on string patterns, the overall length and square inch size of the frame, their basic position is, If you can beat Roger Federer with a snow shovel of that dimension, go ahead and do it.

TH: What would it add to an average players game?
LB: Reach, power, spin and health.

TH: How long did it take you to adapt to using it?
LB: Most players of average skill can begin to rally with it at moderate pace within 5-10 minutes if they play the racket as if it only had one handle. If they already play two-handed on the backhand side, it takes about the same amount of time to adjust to the slightly different angle and point of contact. If they are strictly a one-hand-on-both-sides player, then their ability to adapt to using the other arm that has never been used is another matter. That adjustment is totally dependent upon the willingness of the person in question to apply their already-acquired skills to the other side of their body and brain.

TH: Do you string them up differently to a normal racket?
LB: No.

TH: You must have had some trash talking aimed at you on court what kind of comments do you get?
LB: Can you divine water with that damn thing? is a favourite. When Prince came up with the oversize racket in the mid-70s an ad they ran showed Ion Tiriac glaring his famous glare and the text read, After you make fun of my racket, you better be prepared to play a little tennis. Ditto!

TH: How long did it take Brian to perfect his unique jump serve?
LB: His serve developed over a period of a few years with a standard racket design. When he switched to The Natural, it took a very short amount of time to adapt. Probably less than a week.

TH: Does it make the second shot of the rally tough to prepare for?
LB: Not if you approach the net. But because the serve is so lethal, it most often gets a weak reply and so there is more time to recover.

TH: Brian hits forehands off both sides has he always been left and right handed?
LB: Volumes of misconceptions can be written about this subject but the simple answer is no, his ambidexterity was acquired through practice just as it has for the other 16 players that we have influenced in the Los Angeles South Bay Area who play that way.

TH: Lastly, have any reached the UK yet?
LB: Not that I know of. There are a few in Italy, France, Australia, Sweden, Canada, Singapore but none in England, except of course for the one used by the Queen at Buckingham Palace!