Rackets have gone up in price
- Thread starter bjk
- Start date
fundrazer
G.O.A.T.
Cost of tennis gear overall has inflated since I started playing around 2007. Apparel, shoes, racquets, you name it. Then we get all excited when racquets go on sale, except they're marked down to what was a normal price for a brand new racquet even just a few years back.
Can still find good used deals though. Either here on the boards or the bay.
Can still find good used deals though. Either here on the boards or the bay.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
Pickleball paddles go for $200. Tell me how that makes any sense? It's a glorified ping pong paddle used to hit a whiffle ball. What R&D needs to go into that?
Purestriker
Legend
fullwesternforehand
Rookie
Tennis equipment has always been expensive, and people wonder why it is considered an “elite” sport. Shoes are in the 150 range, and new racquets in the 250 range? I think 200 per new racquet was the standard, but now companies take advantage and make a “pro” line and bump up the most popular racquet’s price by 20-50 bucks. The standard pure aero is the most expensive solely because of its popularity
CosmosMpower
Hall of Fame
I guess you haven't seen the dozens of racquets that go up weekly at 1/2 to 3/4 of new prices here in our classifieds.
CosmosMpower
Hall of Fame
Pure Aero is 229, same as Wilson Clash, Yonex Ezone 98 not the most expensive in it's category or overall.
Steve Huff
G.O.A.T.
A good ping pong paddle can cost $200 too. When I played competitively, a sheet of rubber could cost $30/sheet, and that was 30 years ago. Plus, you need 2 sheets and a good paddle too.
Zhang Jike Super ZLC FL Pro-Line with Bryce High Speed
DetailsButterfly Zhang Jike Super ZLC Pro-Line Table Tennis Racket | Produces Lightning Fast Attacks With A Massive Sweet Spot | Pro-Line Series | Recommended For World Class PlayThe Super ZL Carbon (SZLC) fiber provides a massive sweet spot for the most consistent and direct play. Our fastest...
shop.butterflyonline.com
When tennis racquets were $200 and under, I used to buy two racquets a year and paid full price for them. Now I buy two racquets every three years and wait until they are heavily discounted.
I hit with a friend of mine's 20-25 years old racquet, it does not play any different(to me) than the newer models. We all like to play with the latest, the latest is not necessarily better.
I read a long time ago that Pete Sampras used to play with 15 year old model? Please correct me if I am wrong, I am only repeating what I have read.
I hit with a friend of mine's 20-25 years old racquet, it does not play any different(to me) than the newer models. We all like to play with the latest, the latest is not necessarily better.
I read a long time ago that Pete Sampras used to play with 15 year old model? Please correct me if I am wrong, I am only repeating what I have read.
bjk
Hall of Fame
The new rackets are better. Sampras has said that he should've changed rackets sooner. It's true that pros play with old rackets under paint jobs but that's just what they're comfortable with, not what's the best racket.
I think most of the Head racquets recently went up $10 in price. So the Microgel Radical is now $99.
But yes, racquets are getting more expensive. The price increases are worse for bicycles.
Born_to_slice
Legend
Just bought new prestige youtek mp for 90$. Frankly, I never understood people who are willing to pay 200$+ for a new stick, let alone used one.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
A good ping pong paddle can cost $200 too. When I played competitively, a sheet of rubber could cost $30/sheet, and that was 30 years ago. Plus, you need 2 sheets and a good paddle too.
Zhang Jike Super ZLC FL Pro-Line with Bryce High Speed
DetailsButterfly Zhang Jike Super ZLC Pro-Line Table Tennis Racket | Produces Lightning Fast Attacks With A Massive Sweet Spot | Pro-Line Series | Recommended For World Class PlayThe Super ZL Carbon (SZLC) fiber provides a massive sweet spot for the most consistent and direct play. Our fastest...
That also makes little sense to me. I've also seen badminton rackets go for ridiculous high prices despite the absolute minimum of tech within. I think they just surf off tennis rackets pricing and try to justify it as "well all good rackets cost this much".
bjk
Hall of Fame
Of course new rackets are better. I have five different Yonex's and the new Yonex obviously play better than the old Yonex. It's ridiculous to think that you could play just as well with a 25 year old racket. I've play tested scores of rackets and there is no comparison. It's true that old rackets can feel more comfortable but they're not going to be as consistent or have as large a sweet spot.
TennisManiac
Hall of Fame
The prices that these manufacturers are charging for rackets nowadays are completely out of line. I had a problem spending 200 for a frame. Now some of the manufacturers are charging 250! And let's be completely honest here. Racket technology really hasn't gotten any better in like the last 10 years. Every couple of years every manufacturer has to come up with a new marketing gimmick to sell more stock. So imo... nowadays it's all marketing gimmicks. These frames that are 220 to 250 aren't any better than the frames they were kicking out 5 to 10 years ago. And if people think that they are... then they're the suckers that these greedy manufacturers are aiming for.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
I totally agree with you.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
The US dollar has dropped over 10% from the highs around a year ago and there is worldwide commodity inflation. There are additional costs due to COVID for manufacturing.
The thing I've noticed is that the big online place has a case of US Open XD balls for $144. TW has it for $95 but it doesn't include shipping. I'm a bit worried about shortages of tennis balls late spring. So I ordered enough to get me through the summer. It's kind of like buying toilet paper last spring.
The thing I've noticed is that the big online place has a case of US Open XD balls for $144. TW has it for $95 but it doesn't include shipping. I'm a bit worried about shortages of tennis balls late spring. So I ordered enough to get me through the summer. It's kind of like buying toilet paper last spring.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
I remember getting a look of astonishment when I beat a couple guys in doubles who always beat me and I was using the POG 107. They noticed the unusual frame and I told them it was a 25 year old POG. They were shocked that I took them down with a racket with that old technology.
It's the player, not the racket.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
I think that would be a little harder with my 40-year-old racquets.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
Graphite made the biggest difference to tennis followed by polyester strings. Everything else has largely been window dressing and shifting weight around.
That being said I was in a "woodies" tournament and went from being the worst player there with modern frames to the best player there with a wooden racket. I was also the only person there that started playing tennis with wood so my brain adapted faster to the old technology.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
It still takes me some time adjusting. The hardest thing is the volleys. The sweet spot on my Head Pros is the size of a dime.
Try a softer string and lower the tension, it will enlarge the sweet spot.
A softer string will enlarge the sweet spot.
Lower tension will enlarge the sweet spot.
You can try either or both.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
It's extremely difficult explaining how this particular racquet played but a tiny racquet head will have a tiny sweet spot.
The strings in these racquets are 40 years old. I'd guess that there's been a lot of tension loss over those 40 years.
HitMoreBHs
Professional
Do you (now) have a “windshield wiper” FH?
And.... Xer or Boomer? Just trying to see if I’m addressing a contemporary or senior.
The POG 107 was a sweet stick in its day. Still is!
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
Do you (now) have a “windshield wiper” FH?
And.... Xer or Boomer? Just trying to see if I’m addressing a contemporary or senior.
The POG 107 was a sweet stick in its day. Still is!
I'm one month too old to be an X'er but I still relate more to Gen X than the Boomers. You'll catch me listening a lot more to Pearl Jam than the Beetles.
I do swing with a Semi Western FH that is more modern than my old straight arm eastern FH. More akin to Agassi than Nadal (or Lendl for that matter).
Crocodile
G.O.A.T.
Prices have gone up with racquets, cars and real estate.
However if you are prepared to pay the high prices they are asking for certain brands, they will stay that way, Tennis Warehouse have excellent deals on Pro Kennex for instance, and they are great racquets. I’d be looking there.
However if you are prepared to pay the high prices they are asking for certain brands, they will stay that way, Tennis Warehouse have excellent deals on Pro Kennex for instance, and they are great racquets. I’d be looking there.
SinneGOAT
Hall of Fame
Head prices all took like a $10 increase. Gravity, radical, prestige, speed, all took an increase. I’ll have to be buying from E Bay from now on if I want a frame for a decent price, unless TW gets a sale. I hope Wilson doesn’t follow suit and raise their prices, the clash and pro staff are already a little expensive for what they offer.
Deki
Rookie
FOR shipmentS to EU, price for container is 5.000 $ and will remain the same in 2021. In 2020 was 900 $.
ichaseballs
Professional
ichaseballs
Professional
lets start a pickleball paddle company!
Purestriker
Legend
Used?
Fxanimator1
Hall of Fame
“Rackets have gone up in price”
Is there anything that hasn’t gone up in price?
Is there anything that hasn’t gone up in price?
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
Gold has dropped from $2,080 to $1,678.
Check out platform tennis paddles. Wilson sells a platform Blade complete with green stripe for $210. These are the paddles with a beer bottle opener as a buttcap, so they're obviously highly engineered.
Fxanimator1
Hall of Fame
Hmmm, I don’t buy gold, so I wouldn’t know that, but thanks.
