Dear Racquet Companies,
People involved in tennis know about paint jobs. We know that the models used by Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and many other pro players are not available to the public. I feel that it’s a bit unfair to the racquet purchasing population to keep hiding the fact that new models are released and portrayed as being used by the top players when they’re in fact not. My suggestion is therefore to do like Wilson did for Federer (and Dimitrov but not for all their pro’s) release a signature model that is difficult to handle for most amateurs (the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph) but also one or two lighter variations that are easier for the average tennis player to use.
Why can’t we buy an Andy Murray signature edition (a PT57A with 16×19 string pattern)? And why is Novak Djokovic’s racquet different from what you can buy in the store? Shouldn’t it be up to the consumer to figure out whether they can use the Djokovic’s actual specs or not? In most cases it might not be the best for their game, but let them make the decision. A lot of people playing tennis do not care so much about the results, but more about the beauty and enjoyment of the game and being able to mimic the style and gear of their favorite players.
Charge whatever you feel is necessary for a signature edition racquet and let the consumer decide. You can make cheaper/easier material versions of the same racquet as well, but don’t be shy to offer a 360 gram racquet to the masses as long as you offer a 315 gram version of the same model.
In short, stop twisting the truth about the racquets that pro players use and you won’t lose (much, if any) revenue and, more importantly, sleep about fooling people to buy something it’s not.
Regards,
Jonas
3 comments
I am sure it is a cost consideration since I assume the tuning process would be prohibitively expensive per frame regardless of how many are produced. Case in point, the Becker 11 special edition was retailing for 400 to 500 euros per frame when released in the market. I was lucky enough to purchase a pair on eBay for a great price ($150 each) and they are identical in weight and balance. That being said, there should be no reason why retailers cannot take special orders on a case to case basis as assuming the custom molds don’t change.
Is divulging a player’s preferred spec an issue?
Yes, it is probably a cost consideration in a way, but it worked for the RF97A and PS97. At least you get the base racquet that Federer is playing with. Then he has a customized handle shape etc that works for him, but at least you get an idea of what he’s swinging. I don’t think divulging player specs is an issue, a racquet is such a personal thing.
If you want to sell the Becker 11 SE – let me know ;) Cheers / Jonas
Great point Jonas, I agree with what you said about the prostaff 97 and rf97a frames (or dimitrov’s racquet). That being said, I’m sure they could consider customization if there was sufficient demand since the cost involved would be passed on to customers willing to pay for the privilege. I’m no spring chicken but can still handle the Becker 11 se for now ? but will keep it in mind.
Take care
Partha