Wilson Hammer Tennis Racket History. In 1874, a man named Wilson Hammer made the first hammer for creating tennis racket strings. The original Hammer rackets were about as light as a feather, but can still be found in boxes of vintage equipment.

Rackets were always made from wood for tennis, and the earliest designs used two circular strips of wood with a metal band on one side to create tension. In 1880, people began using metal fixtures that helped prevent string flies from hitting the ball and interrupting play. They soon began to install these metal fixtures onto wooden rackets.

Around 1890, the metal fixtures became more popular and remained that way for the next thirty years. In 1910, it was discovered that metal was a better material for tennis rackets than wood because metal does not warp due to heat or moisture, and is also more durable.
In 1911, tennis players became known as “racketeers.