Functional Tennis Launches First Full-Size Tennis Racket

The new FT-99 full-size tennis racket from Functional Tennis.

Functional Tennis

Functional Tennis, the Ireland-based brand behind the Saber training tennis racket with similar specs to a full-size version but a small 37-inch head to help players focus, now gives fans of the brand a continuous step from Saber to full-size play by launching the FT-99 Jan. 27, the brand’s first full-size racket.

Fabio Molle, owner of Functional Tennis, tells me that even though this is a project he’d always wanted to do, the small business owner knew it would be taxing. “I’ve never, since day one, underestimated the challenge of this,” he says of creating the FT-99. “I think it works well with the Saber for people who use the Saber and want something similar. It also brings me into a new category. Ultimately, Functional Tennis is a business, and my goal is to improve my business.”

The FT-99—the 99 stands for the 99-square-inch head size of the frame—represents a project that began in summer 2023, shortly after the spring 2022 launch of the Saber. Once the Saber launched, fans started asking for a full-size version.

Molle worked with the same development team to create prototypes, testing multiple versions to wade through the tricky proposition of creating a full-size racket that felt like the smaller Saber. “I think it ended up being a racket which is a lot more control oriented than I ever thought,” he says. “Control was always a key part and was definitely what I wanted, control in unstable situations was what I was looking for.”

Using experiences from his own tennis, Molle says the FT-99 offers players confidence to hit with precision and stability on the most exasperating of shots, from dealing with a hard volley to tracking down a wide serve. “Can I replicate the Saber racket feel and handle out-wide returns and unstable situations? Can the racket be stable? These were really important things for me,” he says.

The prototype process brought oodles of back-and-forth, all to bake in a Saber-like feel.

In the end, the FT-99’s specs tended more control-oriented and stable vs. the power-friendly specs he thought he might design. “I find this racket really good with slices and, with the right string, touch,” he says. “I’ve hit drop shots I’ve never hit before. I feel really confident with control of this racket.”

For a small business with no investors, the process to move into the competitive world of racket frames was challenging, full of lessons and not without uncertainties for the future. Through it, Functional Tennis, a mostly word-of-mouth business, has stepped into a new realm, one that brings plenty of unknowns for the business.

How the feedback—and sales—go could determine the future. “Let’s see where it goes,” Molle says, adding a dream would be to see a professional player one day use his frames as they have the Saber. “Who knows? But this is a long journey.”

With such a daunting project done on limited resources, Molle says he decided to place his focus on creating “less hype” and let the use of quality materials set the standard while learning what it takes to make a project of this magnitude happen.

“Lessons are that it takes a lot longer than you ever imagine and working with the right team is important,” he says, noting he had a head start from his time crafting the Saber. He learned plenty about technical aspects, such as the string patterns and how drilling grommets can change a single pattern so much. Then there was the layup of the racket, finding the right fit of stiffening materials, carbon fiber and sifting through the decisions when one minor tweak can have such a drastic impact on the final product.

The result—the rounded head shape is similar to the Saber and uncommon in today’s marketplace—offers a throwback feel with a modern twist, Molle says. “I found that it was really hard and took longer to get the racket to where I wanted it to be, while also realizing this racket isn’t for everybody,” he says. But along the way he’s learned about the development process and believes doing a second version—or a completely different frame style—would be easier, as he now has a baseline to work from.

Customer feedback will determine if there’s going to be a version two, when that would be or if he’s ready to delve into a more power-friendly frame. “Right now, there’s so many unknown things,” Molle says. “I learned that it’s really tough to get things going, but ultimately I’m not comparing it with anything else, just looking to make sure it’s high quality and it does what it says.”

The launch colorway of the FT-99 matches that of the Saber. That was always non-negotiable. “I said from day one it was such an easy decision to make,” Molle says. “It is just a small way of saying thank you to all our Saber customers, especially those who wanted a racket similar to the Saber.”