I'm starting a racquet company - how would you design your perfect racquet?

[Zoolander]

Got it, thank you.


The short answer: very. I love tennis and have had so many different racquets so every day of this business is a blessing for me.


The short answer is that it will probably play the same as other racquets, just with unique specs that some will like, some will not, and no bulls**t fake technologies that other manufacturers seem to have. They will be good looking, high quality racquets that will be used by initially lots of players on the junior and doubles tour, then by top 100 singles players, then by a top-ten player etc so they will eventually be well known. I hope you'll like our racquets but if you don't , that's fine as well. You can never sell a product that everyone likes but if the quality is high and it's priced & marketed properly, then you stand a good chance of success.

Didnt catch it, but are there no plans for an 18*20 pattern?

Where is my glossy black racquet?

its here in this can, VS! along with my glossy black car, glossy black bike, glossy black dog........

 

[s_andrean]

Didnt catch it, but are there no plans for an 18*20 pattern?


its here in this can, VS! along with my glossy black car, glossy black bike, glossy black dog........

Yes 18x20 in the 330g version is definitely coming and maybe in the 300g. We're still undecided on the paint colour but will let you know if the glossy black is picked to match your labrador

 

[hurworld]

Yes 18x20 in the 330g version is definitely coming and maybe in the 300g. We're still undecided on the paint colour but will let you know if the glossy black is picked to match your labrador

Hope it's good quality paint too. According to TT folk lore, certain recent Wilson racquets have paint that chips when you stare at them long enough.

 

[s_andrean]

Hope it's good quality paint too. According to TT folk lore, certain recent Wilson racquets have paint that chips when you stare at them long enough.

My testing will be extensive as I am the worlds clumsiest tennis player and treat my racquets like s**t

 

[Night Slasher]

Good like with your new business, OP. It's always challenging and never easy, but the reward is always the highest if you're successful.

 

[sureshs]

Send me some rackets to test

 

[mike schiffer]

There are a few people who are producing lines of racquets with foam filling....all thru the frame.....check out the Donnay website.....as well as Angell,Zuz......having played with one, I think that might be a point of sales for featuring lack of frame vibration.....flexible frames as well as a power tweener style without the arm liabilites....Too many people are being hurt and having to walk away from the game because of light stiff racquets and co poly strings....Djoker recent case in point....I bet his new frame has a more flexible RA

 

[s_andrean]

There are a few people who are producing lines of racquets with foam filling....all thru the frame.....check out the Donnay website.....as well as Angell,Zuz......having played with one, I think that might be a point of sales for featuring lack of frame vibration.....flexible frames as well as a power tweener style without the arm liabilites....Too many people are being hurt and having to walk away from the game because of light stiff racquets and co poly strings....Djoker recent case in point....I bet his new frame has a more flexible RA

I'm not sure about putting foam all the way through the frame, but we won't have racquets that are too stiff.. the first test racquets have an unstrung ra of 65 or so.

 

[s_andrean]

Send me some rackets to test

Sorry I will only send them out to people that are well known on this forum

 

[mike schiffer]

dont take my word for it.....check Donnay and zuz websites.....foam in the hoop!

 

[Crisp]

I think it all looks great. Molds are easy to obtain racquet has been successful for other companies... I don't see why it couldn't work.

 

[1990's Graphite]

There are a few people who are producing lines of racquets with foam filling....all thru the frame.....check out the Donnay website.....as well as Angell,Zuz......having played with one, I think that might be a point of sales for featuring lack of frame vibration.....flexible frames as well as a power tweener style without the arm liabilites....Too many people are being hurt and having to walk away from the game because of light stiff racquets and co poly strings....Djoker recent case in point....I bet his new frame has a more flexible RA

Novaks frame still same ra flex. Just changed lead weights and string pattern. Length apparently too...

 

[Crocodile]

Right now I'd be going for the arm comfort market and produce beautiful feeling frames that are arm friendly with classic beams and proper weight distribution and offer multiple colour ways for the same frame.
Currently there are already too many stiff frames on the market so something nice on the arm that it well marketed would be great. Currently there is only Prince, Donnay and PK now that Volkl has gone stiffer with their sticks so a well marketed product could do well.

 

[Jster]

I would like it to have similar handles like BB pros from puma, with a special key to make it extended or standard length as and when consumers like it.

 

[mike schiffer]

I would have liked Djoker to reveal how he defeated tennis elbow.....

 

[1990's Graphite]

I would have liked Djoker to reveal how he defeated tennis elbow.....

Surgery

 

[Karma Tennis]

I would have liked Djoker to reveal how he defeated tennis elbow.....

Surgery and Rest !!!!

 

[s_andrean]

I would have liked Djoker to reveal how he defeated tennis elbow.....

Surgery and Rest !!!!

Without libelling myself here, Djokovic's elbow issues 'may' have been slightly overblown by his team including his 'unspecified' surgery. Just saying.

I think it all looks great. Molds are easy to obtain racquet has been successful for other companies... I don't see why it couldn't work.

Thanks!

Right now I'd be going for the arm comfort market and produce beautiful feeling frames that are arm friendly with classic beams and proper weight distribution and offer multiple colour ways for the same frame.
Currently there are already too many stiff frames on the market so something nice on the arm that it well marketed would be great. Currently there is only Prince, Donnay and PK now that Volkl has gone stiffer with their sticks so a well marketed product could do well.

A foam filled handle is likely to and the frame won't be too stiff- 60ra strung 65/ra unstrung going by the factory.

 

[hurworld]

Sorry I will only send them out to people that are well known on this forum

I would like video of a different take on "Will it smash?" please.

 

[XJ9]

it comes with leather grip or ?

 

[s_andrean]

it comes with leather grip or ?

The 330g version will, yes!

 

[XJ9]

The 330g version will, yes!

cool! and if the leather grip is manufactured by you or you use the available leather grip in the market?
And how about the other versions?

 

[Username_]

When do you think the earliest date will be for public purchase in 2019?

 

[Dags]

When discussing racquets with the factory, do you get quotes for various tolerances? I'm not expecting you to share monetary figures, but if weight of +/- 5g was the baseline, I'm curious percentage-wise how much the cost would increase to cut that down to say +/- 1g.

Are you able to share beam width (is it the same for all?) and balance of the lighter models?

Interested to see how this goes, particularly as I'm in the UK and I'm assuming they'll be brought to your home market first!

 

[ONgame]

Would be interested if any from the line up will feature thin box beam

 

[mike schiffer]

One last plea.....because I think it's a wave of the future and you could be there upon your entrance into the market....foam the racquet including the hoop(at least one model).....do some internet research and you can get a demo from advantage,or donnay to see if you can feel the difference....equiptment that exposes players to unnecessary injuries IMO will be a liability in the future as players become more saavy about arm health and how some racquets are clearly designed without regard for the stresses that tennis puts on a players musculature and soft tissues... they are catering to market demands for flashy boomy racquets that might cut short everday civilians arm health who might want to emulate their heroes playing styles without knowledge of extensive after court treatments the pros undergo to head off injuries....I went to the big box stores and bought the fly weight thundersticks that almost put me under doctors care again because I was sold by a "racquet advisor"....outta here

 

[s_andrean]

cool! and if the leather grip is manufactured by you or you use the available leather grip in the market?
And how about the other versions?

We're seeing what the quality of our leather grips will be, our first samples have been good, they are comparable to the ashaway/heads ones.

When do you think the earliest date will be for public purchase in 2019?

We will be retailing them towards the end of february 2019 at the latest

When discussing racquets with the factory, do you get quotes for various tolerances? I'm not expecting you to share monetary figures, but if weight of +/- 5g was the baseline, I'm curious percentage-wise how much the cost would increase to cut that down to say +/- 1g.

Are you able to share beam width (is it the same for all?) and balance of the lighter models?

Interested to see how this goes, particularly as I'm in the UK and I'm assuming they'll be brought to your home market first!

When you get the initial quotations they gave tolerances to +/- 7.5g, I've got this down to +/- 5g for our mass manufacture (which is better than wilson!), we intend to release a 'pro line' where the tolerances will be +/- 1.5g - we haven't picked priceing for this yet but I imagine it will be around the £220/$280 mark.

One last plea.....because I think it's a wave of the future and you could be there upon your entrance into the market....foam the racquet including the hoop(at least one model).....do some internet research and you can get a demo from advantage,or donnay to see if you can feel the difference....equiptment that exposes players to unnecessary injuries IMO will be a liability in the future as players become more saavy about arm health and how some racquets are clearly designed without regard for the stresses that tennis puts on a players musculature and soft tissues... they are catering to market demands for flashy boomy racquets that might cut short everday civilians arm health who might want to emulate their heroes playing styles without knowledge of extensive after court treatments the pros undergo to head off injuries....I went to the big box stores and bought the fly weight thundersticks that almost put me under doctors care again because I was sold by a "racquet advisor"....outta here

One of the incoming samples is foam filled and my friend who suffers from tennis elbow is going to test it, hes a good player and if he likes the feel and theres good enough demand for it i will put it into production

 

[mike schiffer]

can't ask for more than that...I will line up to buy if you have demonstrable success with the design....

 

[JG0185]

Can we see the paint job of the 330G version (not prototype cosmetic).

 

[asifallasleep]

I think you'll need lot's of luck and perhaps help from an ANGELL or two. A rich PRINCE could also be of great benefit. Thirdly, make note that the defining moment spec wise can only be achieved after all your playtesters agree that the frame is in their "wheelhouse." I do also fancy the idea that someone had of the edible chocolate frame...................now that is an idea that is way a HEAD of it's time.

 

[s_andrean]

I think you'll need lot's of luck and perhaps help from an ANGELL or two. A rich PRINCE could also be of great benefit. Thirdly, make note that the defining moment spec wise can only be achieved after all your playtesters agree that the frame is in their "wheelhouse." I do also fancy the idea that someone had of the edible chocolate frame...................now that is an idea that is way a HEAD of it's time.

You win the prize fo the most dad jokes ever in a post on TTW..

 

[redmini]

You win the prize fo the most dad jokes ever in a post on TTW..

WILSON-one tell me what’s wrong with dad jokes ? Can’t wait to see YONEXt post.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sureshs]

I think you'll need lot's of luck and perhaps help from an ANGELL or two. A rich PRINCE could also be of great benefit. Thirdly, make note that the defining moment spec wise can only be achieved after all your playtesters agree that the frame is in their "wheelhouse." I do also fancy the idea that someone had of the edible chocolate frame...................now that is an idea that is way a HEAD of it's time.

You BABble a LOT and are quite VOcaL about your views.

 

[David Le]

It would be awesome to make a one similar to the OG AeroPro but thinner. Let’s say 19.5, 20.5, and 20.5 beam, RA at 65, 16x19, 18x20, or 16x20 string pattern with a 330sw, and 11.5oz unstrung.

 

[TopspintheTerrible]

I’d probably design it like some pro stock I’ve never used but have heard great things about on the forum. RA of 59 and a leather grip. Then I’d ask for a refund because it felt too stiff and I couldn’t generate the same power from the setup as my favorite player does.

So what’s your return policy?

 

[Simplicius]

Dear s_andrean,
First of all I wish you good luck for your new brand.
But as a marketing guy, I really wonder if you are following the right path when you're asking for TT members opinion...
We're just 45,767 strange people, who we live to found the biggest disadvantage of any racquet on this planet!
The only good reason I can see in your idea to ask for opinions here, is to do the opposite.
Imho, the "beneficial" part of the tennis market is out of here...

 

[JordanWinning]

Dear s_andrean,
First of all I wish you good luck for your new brand.
But as a marketing guy, I really wonder if you are following the right path when you're asking for TT members opinion...
We're just 45,767 strange people, who we live to found the biggest disadvantage of any racquet on this planet!
The only good reason I can see in your idea to ask for opinions here, is to do the opposite.
Imho, the "beneficial" part of the tennis market is out of here...

I would argue this is the perfect venue to "ask for opinions," because, with all due respect to OP, it's not so much about opinion as stirring up excitement for his target audience.
These racquets will never be the common man's racquet because the average tennis player (or at least the vast majority) is using a walmart racquet. Nothing against it, but they aren't shelling out the money for something of this quality. He's effectively given himself a free X-Thousand impressions from the market share most likely to actually purchase, even if they aren't currently in the market for something new

 

[s_andrean]

Dear s_andrean,
First of all I wish you good luck for your new brand.
But as a marketing guy, I really wonder if you are following the right path when you're asking for TT members opinion...
We're just 45,767 strange people, who we live to found the biggest disadvantage of any racquet on this planet!
The only good reason I can see in your idea to ask for opinions here, is to do the opposite.
Imho, the "beneficial" part of the tennis market is out of here...

My train of thought was that if i can get a vague nod of approval from the forum, which I think i have, then I'm on the right track with the products! You should never be scared of getting the opinions of critics early on in a company's formation, as long as you don't take it to heart. Not to get too philosophical about this.

I would argue this is the perfect venue to "ask for opinions," because, with all due respect to OP, it's not so much about opinion as stirring up excitement for his target audience.
These racquets will never be the common man's racquet because the average tennis player (or at least the vast majority) is using a walmart racquet. Nothing against it, but they aren't shelling out the money for something of this quality. He's effectively given himself a free X-Thousand impressions from the market share most likely to actually purchase, even if they aren't currently in the market for something new

I was genuinely looking for a few opinions and didn't expect this thread to gain the traction that it has, so the exposure has just been a happy accident... not that I'm complaining. I'm just making the racquets i've always wanted where i didn't think the other companies really delivered.

 

[graycrait]

Just a thought @s_andrean , there are a lot of men and women who got to experience as youngish adults the tennis heydays of the 70s and 80s who still play. Every time I buy one of latest greatest rackets that the post 1995 turbo spin baseline bashers use I end up telling myself every time "what was I thinking." My latest Yonex 100 is a perfect example. That Yonex had to have been designed by NASA engineers to launch balls to the moon. Even my current D1 Euro friend said it would take some time to learn to control that racket. Before that it was nearly every iteration of Wilson Blade and some Babolats. I have resigned myself to Prince of the 1980s. But if there was more of choice for a "baby boomer" ... well, I do have some discretionary money... I dabble with these rackets currently:

 

[Wall Ball Wizard]

Any chance you'll call it RAW Customs?

 

[Louis33]

I apologize if I missed something reading through this, but I don't see anything that sets your racket apart from the Wilson pro staff 97? Slightly lower Ra and different weight options? As a consumer that's not enough to choose your brand over an established brand like Wilson. I wish you the best because I really don't care for the marketing and deception that goes on with these big brand manufacturers. I believe you will be more successful if you do something they aren't doing instead of competing in the same market they are because you will lose. Why not manufacture something the consumer can't buy at a reasonable price such as Wilson H19, H22 or Head Pt57, Pt113B? You would generate lots of excitement on this forum, but even more important you will have a great product that distinguishes your brand from all tennis racket manufacturers.

 

[Jannick]

edit: Quoted an old post.

Here is a list of racket's I love the looks of:

Prince's minimalistic style: (93P) (and others e.g new beast)

Wilson 6.0 85 (minimalistic lines on a box beam) <- I think this could go really well on a navy/black/white racquet with gold accents.

Wilson BURN FST (black with small burn accents)

Lacoste has a number of premium looking frames aswell which are striving towards the style you described.

I like the old Radicals aswell. But these look more modern then classic.

 

[XJ9]

What's the progress now ?

 

[Orange Panther]

I have (excitingly) successfully pitched for investment to start a tenniswear, accessories and racquet brand based in London and the investor wants to start prototyping and production relatively promptly.

I have (excitingly) successfully pitched for investment to start a tenniswear, accessories and racquet brand based in London and the investor wants to start prototyping and production relatively promptly.

A little info - we are doing simple but high quality active and casualwear wardrobe staples in white with gold accents, the pricing of the clothing/accessories will be similar to that of Lacoste.

Ideally, we want the racquets to match and have some gold on them somewhere (in a subtle way). I've got a mould very similar to the Prostaff 97 without breaking copyright laws that we're using as a base, but I have a completely clean slate on the design. I was thinking having the carbon weave exposed with lacquer on top with subtle gold pinstriping. I'd be both keen and appreciative to get any of your thoughts of what makes a good looking racquet. What do you think?

**UPDATE**
Here are the samples: we've narrowed it down to light gray or navy blue, with gold highlights
Headsize: 97sq in
Unstrung Weights: 280g, 300g, 330g (leather grip)
Stiffness: 65ra unstrung
Balance: 310

https://imgur.com/a/hkWmZx9

https://imgur.com/a/OpV3Buc

0
A little info - we are doing simple but high quality active and casualwear wardrobe staples in white with gold accents, the pricing of the clothing/accessories will be similar to that of Lacoste.

Ideally, we want the racquets to match and have some gold on them somewhere (in a subtle way). I've got a mould very similar to the Prostaff 97 without breaking copyright laws that we're using as a base, but I have a completely clean slate on the design. I was thinking having the carbon weave exposed with lacquer on top with subtle gold pinstriping. I'd be both keen and appreciative to get any of your thoughts of what makes a good looking racquet. What do you think?

**UPDATE**
Here are the samples: we've narrowed it down to light gray or navy blue, with gold highlights
Headsize: 97sq in
Unstrung Weights: 280g, 300g, 330g (leather grip)
Stiffness: 65ra unstrung
Balance: 310

https://imgur.com/a/hkWmZx9

https://imgur.com/a/OpV3Buc

 

[Orange Panther]

Glossy white with a red slash

 

[Orange Panther]

Would be nice

 

[s_andrean]

Glossy white with a red slash

That's be a bit too similar to wilson for us. We're probably going for the rubberized light grey colour with gold accents as it's classy in an art-deco kinda way.

I apologize if I missed something reading through this, but I don't see anything that sets your racket apart from the Wilson pro staff 97? Slightly lower Ra and different weight options? As a consumer that's not enough to choose your brand over an established brand like Wilson. I wish you the best because I really don't care for the marketing and deception that goes on with these big brand manufacturers. I believe you will be more successful if you do something they aren't doing instead of competing in the same market they are because you will lose. Why not manufacture something the consumer can't buy at a reasonable price such as Wilson H19, H22 or Head Pt57, Pt113B? You would generate lots of excitement on this forum, but even more important you will have a great product that distinguishes your brand from all tennis racket manufacturers.

Our USP
1) Different, unique design design
2) Different weights - 330gram in open/closed string patterns, something wilson doesn't offer
3) -no pws - it's a cleaner design and should have a more uniform feel
4) At the start it has to appeal to the mass market so those 'pro stock' frames will be a part of our lineup in the future, but not now

 

[Karma Tennis]

Our USP
1) Different, unique design design
2) Different weights - 330gram in open/closed string patterns, something wilson doesn't offer
3) -no pws - it's a cleaner design and should have a more uniform feel
4) At the start it has to appeal to the mass market so those 'pro stock' frames will be a part of our lineup in the future, but not now

With Respect ...

On November the 4th you told me that your USP was "Confidential".

But on November the 27th you publish it online.

What has changed in a little over 3 weeks?

 

[Jannick]

With Respect ...

On November the 4th you told me that your USP was "Confidential".

But on November the 27th you publish it online.

What has changed in a little over 3 weeks?

I think he was talking about the business plan being confidential, which makes sense.

The USP however shouldn't be a problem to share.


I agree it's kinda strange but he probably either only just now understood the question or his company has allowed him to talk about it.

 

[JG0185]

@s_andrean
A couple of Q's, (Just letting you know in advance): Can we get some images on prototypes or the actual cosmetic. Also will you be shipping to Australia, I am interested in the 330 g model. (Would you make a website after reveal)? Thanks