Head factory in Austria - Racquets made by hand says Ernests Gulbis - Page 2

roger nadal · 12-13-2010, 09:52 AM

i really wish china could make quality products

BreakPoint · 12-13-2010, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Diablo

What makes you think "made by hand" is better? Machines seem more dependable than most of the people I know.

ALL tennis racquets are made mostly by hand no matter where in the world they are made, be it in China or Austria or anywhere else. That's one major reason why it's so much cheaper for companies to make them in China because the manufacturing process is so labor intensive and labor is cheap in China.

Rabbit · 12-13-2010, 12:08 PM

^^^^^^^^^
yep, there's a video floating around of a Chinese factory where they're building Prince frames. I was really amazed at how much manual labor goes into a frame from beginning to putting on grips to the guy who sits there all day and puts the dot in the 12 o'clock between the first two mains.

BreakPoint · 12-13-2010, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rabbit

^^^^^^^^^
yep, there's a video floating around of a Chinese factory where they're building Prince frames. I was really amazed at how much manual labor goes into a frame from beginning to putting on grips to the guy who sits there all day and puts the dot in the 12 o'clock between the first two mains.

There's also a Wilson "infomercial" that they show during commercial breaks on Tennis Channel that talks about how Wilson develops new frames from the initial engineering to the prototype testing to the manufacturing and they mention that most people think that tennis racquets are made by machines when in fact they are mostly made by hand.

Bhagi Katbamna · 12-13-2010, 01:39 PM

I guarantee that what is wrong with our games wouldn't magically get better with a racket made in Austria.

Rabbit · 12-13-2010, 02:19 PM

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Correctomundo!

make it into a Pepsi challenge....we wouldn't know the difference

vsbabolat · 12-13-2010, 02:46 PM

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video...ef=videosearch

jura · 12-13-2010, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raging

Interested to know vs did you manage to get a tour there? Or are the photos from another site?
Thanks.

These pics can be found on the Head media database if you have an access.

jura · 12-14-2010, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bhagi Katbamna

I guarantee that what is wrong with our games wouldn't magically get better with a racket made in Austria.

I can agree to this. I played Head stock frames and I have TGK sticks now. There are only two differences: First you can get rackets that are not sold as a YT Prestige MID in 695mm length (as I have and what is the reason that I don't use stock frames). And second at Kennelbach they don't put (that much) lead inside the handle before baking the racket. They fill silicone into the grip which gives the racket a different touch.

jmverdugo · 12-14-2010, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roger nadal

i really wish china could make quality products

They do, for instance I am pretty sure you are writting from a computer made in China.

TheRed · 12-14-2010, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roger nadal

i really wish china could make quality products

Fischer racquets had amazing quality control - they were made in China. Head racquets, the ones previously made in Austria, had terrible quality control. Don't listen to amateurs talk here about chinese and austrian racquets. They don't know racquets, they don't know the manufacturing process and they don't know what quality control means.

To be honest, I prefer the old racquets because I love the graphite/twaron feel. That has nothing to do with China or quality control. The decision to make "poor quality" racquets lies with the racquet company, not the country.

rovex · 12-14-2010, 12:16 PM

Where anything is made has no bearing on the quality.

big bang · 12-14-2010, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheRed

Fischer racquets had amazing quality control - they were made in China. Head racquets, the ones previously made in Austria, had terrible quality control. Don't listen to amateurs talk here about chinese and austrian racquets. They don't know racquets, they don't know the manufacturing process and they don't know what quality control means.

To be honest, I prefer the old racquets because I love the graphite/twaron feel. That has nothing to do with China or quality control. The decision to make "poor quality" racquets lies with the racquet company, not the country.

LOL oh really??

TheRed · 12-14-2010, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big bang

LOL oh really??

yes, really. What is your insight?

rufusbgood · 12-14-2010, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheRed

Fischer racquets had amazing quality control - they were made in China. Head racquets, the ones previously made in Austria, had terrible quality control. Don't listen to amateurs talk here about chinese and austrian racquets.

I am inclined to agree. The Austrian made racquets were prone to losing their shape. They were also prone to collapse between string holes. I've always thought of that as a design flaw, but since moving their manufacturing to China, Head's racquets have been worlds better in this regard.

vsbabolat · 12-14-2010, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rufusbgood

I am inclined to agree. The Austrian made racquets were prone to losing their shape. They were also prone to collapse between string holes. I've always thought of that as a design flaw, but since moving their manufacturing to China, Head's racquets have been worlds better in this regard.

Well, I have had many many years of experience with Austrian made racquets. In that time I only had one frame that cracked due to it being defective. While 3 out of the 4 Microgel Prestige I had crack in the same spot at the shaft just above the grip. On the Youtek Prestige Mid I have 1 that is cracking in the same spot as the Microgel Prestige.

The China made frames still go round if mounted incorrectly on a 6 point mounting system and or strung from throat to head which was the same situation with the Austrian made frames. I don't think quality improved or got worse.

Never, Never have I had a Austrian Made frame collapse between string holes.

I guess I have very different experiences than you guys........

rufusbgood · 12-14-2010, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vsbabolat

Never, Never have I had a Austrian Made frame collapse between string holes.

You've never noticed something like this?

coyfish · 12-14-2010, 09:13 PM

I had 3 austrian made radicals and let me tell you they were the worst QC ever. All 3 played basically like different racquets. Swingweight was different, impact felt different, weight was different . . . I have 2 youteks and both play identically.

Bhagi Katbamna · 12-15-2010, 06:58 AM

The improvement may have to do with more advanced machines that the rackets are made on rather than where they are actually made.

Fedace · 12-15-2010, 07:11 AM

Which Youtek does he use ?? and do they make his racket specially for him on the side ?

12-13-2010, 09:52 AM	#21
roger nadal Semi-Pro Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 713	i really wish china could make quality products __________________ PRINCE REBEL 95: Needs an open string pattern

12-13-2010, 12:08 PM	#23
Rabbit G.O.A.T. Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: at the bottom of every hill I come to Posts: 11,114	^^^^^^^^^ yep, there's a video floating around of a Chinese factory where they're building Prince frames. I was really amazed at how much manual labor goes into a frame from beginning to putting on grips to the guy who sits there all day and puts the dot in the 12 o'clock between the first two mains. __________________ Wilson Steam 99S poly Luxilon 4G 1.25 @ 45

12-13-2010, 01:39 PM	#25
Bhagi Katbamna Hall Of Fame Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,606	I guarantee that what is wrong with our games wouldn't magically get better with a racket made in Austria. __________________ The truth isn't mean. It's the truth. Andrew Breitbart.

12-13-2010, 02:19 PM	#26
Rabbit G.O.A.T. Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: at the bottom of every hill I come to Posts: 11,114	^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Correctomundo! make it into a Pepsi challenge....we wouldn't know the difference __________________ Wilson Steam 99S poly Luxilon 4G 1.25 @ 45

12-13-2010, 02:46 PM	#27
vsbabolat Legend Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 7,388	http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video...ef=videosearch __________________ Babolat ruined VS Gut and Tonic Gut with BT7. Why change a gut string that had been perfect for 135 years? It's now overpriced garbage.