Well, Spalding DID try to introduce a "pro" spec racket line with their Pro Stock series. These rackets had classy yet fun, lively paint jobs almost like modern art rackets with sun burst shades the color of tropical parrots streaking across origami matte black, white horizons. The kind of VISIONARY paint jobs both traditionalists and radical surfer dudes alike would like, and clearly something they invested in and took care to "create." They also received pretty decent press/promo as the "official" racket of the ATP Tour. The graphite used for these definitely felt high grade, and these were just in general rackets you know Spalding put a lot into. They really wanted these too succeed, and I think for a dying company it was their last big, concerted push to try and recapture some of their previous presence in tennis...it/they failed miserably, however.
It was not long before you could get rackets from this "pro stock" line for next to nothing on clearance at places like Overstock.com.
Having tried the Pro Stock 200, the reason was DEFINITELY not quality, fit, or finish...let alone feel and playability which were both outstanding.
The problem with this line in my opinion was that everyone just looked at the huge stock weights, got intimidated, and just said whoa, never in a million years, no way...who do they think I am, He-Man?
In other words, it has been engrained into the public's minds that we are all a bunch of she-mans by comparison to the pros, who are thought to have some kind of mythic strength and ability to wield big sticks as if they were tooth picks.
As a result, no one gave the pro stock line a chance because they just thought it would never be practical for me to use something like that and still be effective...i.e. to actually win matches. Which too most of the buying public, kind of is the point. Even for a recreational player, you don't play to lose right? That doesn't make sense, you play to win...maybe not as seriously as the pros, but still NO ONE wants to walk off the court having lost a match and thinking gee it sure was a great feeling to hit with this "pro stock" racket, but gee, oh well, I still lost. Doesn't work that way.
NOW, with this board, however; I have to think that among serious tennis hobbyists, this rigid viewpoint has changed. In general, this board has TRULY revolutionized the way the average, "serious" tennis consumer looks at rackets. As a bunch, we are now FAR more educated and FAR more critical consumers. What's more the advent of **** and used goods boards, has I think also created a segment such as myself that no longer thinks it's worth it or justifiable to fork out full price for new rackets. There's now a hop scotch mentality, where people regularly buy and sell used rackets like dirty whures, never quite settling out of boredom and a general restlessness brought upon by the sudden availability and proliferation of perfectly fine and usable used goods. It's almost like a renter's market now.
In any case, these kinds of trends brought on by the liberating effect of an easily accessible mass public board, has caused a mentality where now the average tennis consumer is now far more restless and constantly trying to fine tune sticks and "experiment." It almost feels like a tennis hippy movement to me now, a new era was ushered in with the Tennis Warehouse message boards so many years ago in my opinion.
Given this, now once seemingly, are you crazy? ideas like the Spalding Pro Stock series, I think now would stand a far greater chance of suceeding.
Great concept, but definitely a case of wrong place, wrong time.
I think now, however, the time is ripe for another brave manufacturer to try and market such a concept as the pro stock line again. Perhaps, a Vantage line except one specializing in pro weighting concepts, with say a throat weighted design, a SW2 design, etc.