Founded in 1946, Yonex is famous for its Japanese craftsmanship, specifically surrounding the use of graphite material, a transferable commodity that has seen the company claim various titles in a number of sports worldwide. Throughout that time, their mantra has always stayed the same: "To craft a better future with unique innovations."
Originally, the company's founder, Minoru Yoneyama, specialised in wood-crafting but, as is the case, technology advances and, in 1980, one of the biggest changes in the brand's history occurred, as Yonex’s graphite technology really started to shine through.
Within the tennis world, we have seen the likes of Stan Wawrinka, a former world No.3 and three-time Grand Slam champion, Naomi Osaka, a former World No.1, and three-time Major winner, Angelique Kerber, using Yonex racquets to achieve high-levels of success. Along with this success in tennis, a number of notable names in golf had been making their mark with the equipment on offer...
Turning professional in the early 1990s, Phil Mickelson, one of the most recognized and decorated golfers ever, used Yonex clubs to achieve over a dozen PGA Tour titles. Along with 'Lefty', Colin Montgomerie had a long stint with the brand, whilst a number of LPGA Tour players, including Major winner, Hyo Joo Kim, use the equipment still to this day!
So, why is the Yonex brand trusted by so many top sportsmen and women? Well, through years of research and development, the company have created various high-quality crafted graphite products. These include the ADX 200 driver, a widebody graphite construction that produced a 412-yard drive in an era when players were still using persimmon models.
Continuing to expand their offering in their specialised sports, Yonex produce various tennis and badminton racquets depending on what the individual player requires. These categories include control, power, spin and comfort and, you could argue that, when it comes to golf, their clubs work in the same way.
Introducing Namd, a new-wave of technological graphite that provides rapid shaft snapback for maximum distance, Yonex also use other forms of graphite regularly in and around the various clubheads. When Yoneyama founded the company, he committed to constant innovation and vowed never to be left behind technologically. He has certainly kept his promise!
Whether it's their forged CB iron collection, which is tailored towards those looking for more forgiveness, or the more-bladed MB models for better ball strikers, all feature in a variety of graphite constructed flexes that are designed for maximum performance and are crafted for various different skill levels.
As Yonex continue to grow and expand their innovation and graphite technology, they also continue to support golf around the world, including the Yonex Ladies Golf Tournament on the LPGA of Japan Tour. Building on their 75 year history, their philosophy of "crafting a better future with unique innovations" has never been stronger.
