Wilson poor quality control and no way to match these racquets to the original specifications

[crobison]

My experience with wilson has not been good, I started with 2 Wilson Six.One 90, then 2 Wilson Pro Staff 97 RF (2015 Red and Black) and now 2 Wilson Pro Staff 97 with Counterveil, the closest to match the specifications listed were the 2 Wilson Pro Staff 97 RF, but the worst have been the 2 Wilson Pro Staff 97 with Counterveil, total disaster. I bought these last 2 racquets at Tennis Plaza in Orlando, Florida, I asked them to find the 2 racquets with the most similar static weight, they didn't have many to select from, strung them with Solinco Hyper-G at 55, when I took them on court, one seemed flexier than the other and I said to myself, "What a diference between the same racquet". I checked the static weight balance, then popped the trap door in the handle, much to my surprise, one had foam and the other had silicone, I tried to match them up with lead tape, fishing weights, leather grips, etc.. I could never get the same advertised swing weight, I took them to John Gugle close to lake mary, he basically said the he could only get one of those racquets close to the advertised specs. Due to the poor quality control when manufacturing these racquets, I have 2 racquets that are practically useless and sure I could sell them. I wrote Wilson about the issue in march of this year about the problem and they sent me a new Wilson Pro Staff 97 Counterveil tuxedo (the one nobody likes) I haven't checked it out because I am currently out of country, but I bet the specs will also be different, basically they send me to racquet to stop complaining. I know Tennis Warehouse has a matching racquet service that they charge to get racquets that are close to the desired specs, but do you actually think that it is correct that you must pay additional to get racquets with the same specs? After forking out some 500.00 in racquets that you buy, then have to pay additional because the manufacturer has not owned up to what they advertise? or like in my case I have 2 racquets that there is no way possible to even customize them to match the advertised specs? We all know that these companies manufacture in china and the quality control is a disaster, I recently send them 2 pics with the serial number of those 2 racquets so they can determine (if they want to) when these crappy racquet were manufactured. I saw a time back that someone mentioned a legal dispute with wilson about the racquet that Roger Federer uses and what is sold as his racquet, there are many that use paint jobs just to sell more racquets.. It's a capitalist system, but selling racquets that do not owned up to the specs advertised should reviewed and if off by certain numbers punishable by a fine.. What they are doing is false advertising..

 

[Automatix]

If any of the advertised parameters is outside the tolerance you are entitled to get a replacement.
Currently the advertised parameters are balance and weight (I don't see other specs written on the frame besides headsize and stringpattern on mine), Wilson doesn't state swingweight IIRC.
Don't know Wilson tolerances but Babolat did state their tolerances once...
Weight ±7g
Stiffness ±3RA
Balance ±7mm
Swingweight ±10kg·cm²

And the sad fact is that such margins make your chance of getting an unmatchable pair quite likely...
It is how it is...

 

[esgee48]

Next time pay extra to have TW match mass, balance and SW [and TW if possible.] You have to call them rather than just order online. TW does have an RDC.

Or you can ask them to measure their frames and send you the 2 or 3 that are below your max allowable and do the customizing yourself. Look at TWU for their tools. The Apple Swingweight app also works. The second option cost less than full matching. Or if you know of a place with an RDC like device...

 

[crobison]

True Wilson does not advertise the swing weight, which in most cases is the most important parameter, but tennis warehouse advertises the swing weight at 321 and ******* tennis at 325, there is a 4gm difference but acceptable.. Even if I wanted to trade this racquets in I don't think Tennis Warehouse would accept them, because they are so out there..

 

[Dansan]

The RF97A I bought from tennis warehouse was selected with matching service to have closest specs to advertised unstrung specs. Costs extra. It still was not perfect (like yonex), but it was close enough to get me in range and fine tune from there. Sadly, this is the case with wilson. I have tried many other lighter and more forgiving frames that have better QC, but I keep coming back to the RF for whatever reason. With the right strings, and the right relaxed swing, I have not come across anything quite like it.

 

[crobison]

Next time pay extra to have TW match mass, balance and SW [and TW if possible.] You have to call them rather than just order online. TW does have an RDC.

Or you can ask them to measure their frames and send you the 2 or 3 that are below your max allowable and do the customizing yourself. Look at TWU for their tools. The Apple Swingweight app also works. The second option cost less than full matching. Or if you know of a place with an RDC like device...

I am aware the tennis warehouse offers the service and I did use the customizing yourself tool from TWU, that why I know it's next to impossible to get these racquet even close to the advertised specs or matching them, because I had one of the premier tennis racquet technicians look at doing that. Aside from sending it to Priority One, Roman Prokes or his son who is at the Tennis Center in Orlando, the mostly likely scenarios is that these 2 racquets are crap.. The point being that if the racquet companies would produce quality, you wouldn't have these issue..

 

[crobison]

The RF97A I bought from tennis warehouse was selected with matching service to have closest specs to advertised unstrung specs. Costs extra. It still was not perfect (like yonex), but it was close enough to get me in range and fine tune from there. Sadly, this is the case with wilson. I have tried many other lighter and more forgiving frames that have better QC, but I keep coming back to the RF for whatever reason. With the right strings, and the right relaxed swing, I have not come across anything quite like it.

I am currently looking at Yonex as an option, I loved the Wilson Six.One 90.. But even that had issues, the grip size was incorrect with the label..

 

[fox]

Maybe it’s easier to buy other companies ?

 

[Dansan]

I am currently looking at Yonex as an option, I loved the Wilson Six.One 90.. But even that had issues, the grip size was incorrect with the label..

I live in Orlando and have used Raquetquest in Casselberry to customize frames, but to some degree it's really hard to dial the RF97A as you said. I switched to yonex about 9 months ago, tried the ezone 98 2020, and then the ezone 98 tour. Both of those were absolutely spot on spec as far as QC. Grips run slightly larger. I swapped a leather grip on which brought the grip size down for me. You can go smaller and build it back up too. I honeymooned with them for about 3/4 months, they are pretty good overall and a solid option for competitive play. But I ended up going back recently to the RF97A like I always do. I have learned not to sell them off, because I always revert back to them despite the crap QC.

 

[crobison]

I live in Orlando and have used Raquetquest in Casselberry to customize frames, but to some degree it's really hard to dial the RF97A as you said. I switched to yonex about 9 months ago, tried the ezone 98 2020, and then the ezone 98 tour. Both of those were absolutely spot on spec as far as QC. Grips run slightly larger. I swapped a leather grip on which brought the grip size down for me. You can go smaller and build it back up too. I honeymooned with them for about 3/4 months, they are pretty good overall and a solid option for competitive play. But I ended up going back recently to the RF97A like I always do. I have learned not to sell them off, because I always revert back to them despite the crap QC.

As a matter of fact, John at RacquetQuest looked at the racquets and he basically said that only one of them he could get close to the spec.. That's funny revert back..

 

[crobison]

Maybe it’s easier to buy other companies ?

That is what I will be doing, but I look first and foremost at "Buy American" and they can't even que tennis racquets right! uff..

 

[crobison]

The RF97A I bought from tennis warehouse was selected with matching service to have closest specs to advertised unstrung specs. Costs extra. It still was not perfect (like yonex), but it was close enough to get me in range and fine tune from there. Sadly, this is the case with wilson. I have tried many other lighter and more forgiving frames that have better QC, but I keep coming back to the RF for whatever reason. With the right strings, and the right relaxed swing, I have not come across anything quite like it.

The problem with the RF is I can play well the first 2 sets, but after that the weight tires me out. The Pro Staff 97 I can play 4 set at the same level..

 

[zipplock]

As a matter of fact, John at RacquetQuest looked at the racquets and he basically said that only one of them he could get close to the spec.. That's funny revert back..

You want the racquets matched to spec or to each other?

 

[crobison]

I wanted the racquets matched to specs or at least close..

 

[crobison]

You want the racquets matched to spec or to each other?

The racquets I have aren't even close to the spec advertised, matching them to each other would be a waste of time.. At least if they were matched to the advertised spec, you would have a starting point if you want to customize the racquet.

 

[Dansan]

The problem with the RF is I can play well the first 2 sets, but after that the weight tires me out. The Pro Staff 97 I can play 4 set at the same level..

Yeah, I hear you. Especially in Orlando during the hotter months...the RF has nearly killed me before during summer in multi set matches. It's a beast unto it's own really, not for everyone.

 

[zipplock]

The racquets I have aren't even close to the spec advertised, matching them to each other would be a waste of time.. At least if they were matched to the advertised spec, you would have a starting point if you want to customize the racquet.

I guess. I've never cared how close to listed spec racquets were because they're going to be modified anyway. I just need them close enough to each other.

 

[Lorenn]

I guess. I've never cared how close to listed spec racquets were because they're going to be modified anyway. I just need them close enough to each other.

Basically you have to pay for matching services if you need them that close. Saves you tons of time and money. Just sell the bad one to a casual player. Basically it is a balancing act of time and money... for the makers. Reminds me of a friend who was upset his oven was not always at 325 when set at 325. Margins exist for various reasons. Some makers spend more time others mass produce. If they made them all close you would spend 30-50 more a racquet or you could just pay for matching service. Still always going to be rough to get any racquet to exact exact spec as you need under spec racquets.

 

[crobison]

Basically have to pay for matching services if you need them that close. Saves you tons of time and money. They sell on the bad one to a casual player. Basically it is a balancing act or time and money for the makers. Reminds me of a friend who was upset his oven was not always at 325 when set at 325. Margins exist for various reasons. Some makers spend more time others mass produce. If they made them all close you would spend 30-50 more a racquet or you could just pay for matching service. Still always going to be rough to get any racquet to exact exact spec as you need under spec racquets.

That you won't get a racquet that is the same is understood, but not 2 that are so different, one had foam in the handle and the other had silicone? Do you think that is right? That means you are making up for manufacturing short comings. The silicone in the handle adds weight and absorbs the vibrations better.. So even the feel is different, that is not right, should you pay additional for matching service? That is poor quality....

 

[Lorenn]

That you won't get a racquet that is the same is understood, but not 2 that are so different, one had foam in the handle and the other had silicone? Do you think that is right? That means you are making up for manufacturing short comings. The silicone in the handle adds weight and absorbs the vibrations better.. So even the feel is different, that is not right, should you pay additional for matching service? That is poor quality....

I see blame all around, but it feels to me you are fighting the tide. To have quality control as high are you are asking would increase the cost of all racquets. So instead of increasing the cost of every racquet there is a system in place for casual players who care that much about specs being exactly right. You have quite a few options. Pro spec racquets, matching services, different brands. Maybe stores should be allowed to pay for batches of matched specs from the factory(factory sorts racquets into similar piles and ships a box of similiar spec to each store)(of course stores might hate getting all overweight racquets)..still seems like it would raise costs. Some smaller brands focus on higher quality ...less on star endorsers. Some which are known to have a similar feel.

How quickly did you notice the feel was different from the two racquets? Which racquet do you prefer? Could you have returned the racquet you disliked on day one let say? Did you complain to the store? Shouldn't the store handle some of the customer service when it comes to matched racquets. They can then complain to Wilson.

Seems to me a good matching service would of saved you time, cost and stress.

You can try and fight the riptide or you can swim across it and do they best you can...

 

[Dartagnan64]

My suggestion is that there are a half dozen other racquet manufacturers that are better with QC than Wilson. It you are particular about specs, buy from them.

Complaints about Wilson QC is like complaining that milk is white, grass is green and the sky is blue. They are not going to increase costs to improve QC if they don't think it impacts sales. And since 99.999% of tennis players don't care, I can't see them changing their ways.

 

[crobison]

I see blame all around, but it feels to me you are fighting the tide. To have quality control as high are you are asking would increase the cost of all racquets. So instead of increasing the cost of every racquet there is a system in place for casual players who care that much about specs being exactly right. You have quite a few options. Pro spec racquets, matching services, different brands. Maybe stores should be allowed to pay for batches of matched specs from the factory(factory sorts racquets into similar piles and ships a box of similiar spec to each store)(of course stores might hate getting all overweight racquets)..still seems like it would raise costs. Some smaller brands focus on higher quality ...less on star endorsers. Some which are known to have a similar feel.

How quickly did you notice the feel was different from the two racquets? Which racquet do you prefer? Could you have returned the racquet you disliked on day one let say? Did you complain to the store? Shouldn't the store handle some of the customer service when it comes to matched racquets. They can then complain to Wilson.

Seems to me a good matching service would of saved you time, cost and stress.

You can try and fight the riptide or you can swim across it and do they best you can...

Unfortunately I took advantage that I was in orlando for a wedding and went to Tennis Plaza to purchase the racquets, I played at the tennis courts where the wedding was held, but at the time I didn't think of looking under the trap door of the handle when I felt there was less vibration on one of the racquets. I was only in town a couple of days. I don't believe you have to increase the cost of manufacturing racquets, if that was true how does Yonex maintain the same price with high quality? I feel that if you are a customer and pay for a Tennis Racquet, you should get what is advertised.

 

[crobison]

My suggestion is that there are a half dozen other racquet manufacturers that are better with QC than Wilson. It you are particular about specs, buy from them.

Complaints about Wilson QC is like complaining that milk is white, grass is green and the sky is blue. They are not going to increase costs to improve QC if they don't think it impacts sales. And since 99.999% of tennis players don't care, I can't see them changing their ways.

I think that you need to speak up when something is not right, whether they listen to you or not. If they get enough people complaining they will make a change, just like everybody knows that they paint tour players racquets to look like the newest models, even though they are older models, which is also not right. The pros in most cases have completely different racquets that the manufacturers advertise, Wilson had someone who took legal action and they had to changed from "Used by to Designed by" As a paying customer you must demand what you paid for..

 

[Lorenn]

Unfortunately I took advantage that I was in Orlando for a wedding and went to Tennis Plaza to purchase the racquets, I played at the tennis courts where the wedding was held, but at the time I didn't think of looking under the trap door of the handle when I felt there was less vibration on one of the racquets. I was only in town a couple of days. I don't believe you have to increase the cost of manufacturing racquets, if that was true how does Yonex maintain the same price with high quality? I feel that if you are a customer and pay for a Tennis Racquet, you should get what is advertised.

You did noticed it then, but you were rightfully busy and distracted. Yonex might spend less on Tennis players, less on advertising, be willing to make less money, be forced to make less money to compete, care about stockholders less, run a more efficient plant or being willing to invest in customer good will...If you want to reward a company which make racquets close to spec...simply vote with your money and buy from them. I like odd things... I still like racquet covers to come with racquets, but not everyone does and not everyone should pay more money because I need a racquet cover. (Yes I have a 6 racquet bag) In the end if the firms have to spend extra effort it will take extra time and cost more.

There are other premium racquet makers you could reward for good quality control. Angell racquets makes a very nice product. If you want companies to change you have to hit them in the pocket book. Vote with your money and buy a different racquet. Wilson has focused on volume production, high level marketing and short term profits. This is typical of firms controlled by equity firms. You bought a racquet, it felt off, normally you would have returned the off racquet and then maybe used a 20 dollar matching service(or gones to a store with a request to match it)

I would have to take apart quite a few Yonex racquets to see if they ever change what is in the handle...Matching racquets simply takes extra caution. I am sorry you have had bad luck on multiple tries, but my suggestion stands the same if you care about matching racquets... 20 dollars is a bargain in time and money savings.

 

[crobison]

You did noticed it then, but you were rightfully busy and distracted. Yonex might spend less on Tennis players, less on advertising, be willing to make less money, be forced to make less money to compete, care about stockholders less, run a more efficient plant or being willing to invest in customer good will...If you want to reward a company which make racquets close to spec...simply vote with your money and buy from them. I like odd things... I still like racquet covers to come with racquets, but not everyone does and not everyone should pay more money because I need a racquet cover. (Yes I have a 6 racquet bag) In the end if the firms have to spend extra effort it will take extra time and cost more.

There are other premium racquet makers you could reward for good quality control. Angell racquets makes a very nice product. If you want companies to change you have to hit them in the pocket book. Vote with your money and buy a different racquet. Wilson has focused on volume production, high level marketing and short term profits. This is typical of firms controlled by equity firms. You bought a racquet, it felt off, normally you would have returned the off racquet and then maybe used a 20 dollar matching service(or gones to a store with a request to match it)

I would have to take apart quite a few Yonex racquets to see if they ever change what is in the handle...Matching racquets simply takes extra caution. I am sorry you have had bad luck on multiple tries, but my suggestion standards the same if you care about matching racquets 20 dollars is a bargain in time and money savings.

I completely understand what you are saying, I had 2 Yonex R-22 (Black and grey covers) in the day that were excellent racquets.. I used 5 Wilson Jack Kramers, even one that was had the Diamond shapes Pro Staff in the day, AMF Head Arthur Ashe II and even a Yamaha Racquet..

 

[Dansan]

No one says it's right, but it's an unlikely battle. I don't think it's right that Wilson, a company founded in the USA values profits over quality. This is the USA and we value nothing but profits at the top. It's all about the bottom line, we make it easy for businesses to do what they want. Surely Wilson could manufacture sporting goods with higher quality, they could manufacture here in the US or Japan, but Wilson is much more interested in squeezing every dollar as long as they can still sell their products to the average consumer. This is the way of life here in the good ole' USA. They do it because they can. If people keep buying, they can keep manufacturing cheaply. If there is no regulatory body that exists to control tolerances in sporting goods (or a cultural obligation to sell a quality to the people, like in Japan), they can sell you a racquet filled with human crap and as long as people keep buying, they can keep selling.

The best thing that can happen is that the word spreads enough to where people stop buying and start writing letters (myself included) to complain about the quality. If it hurts their bottom line, then they may change. But I just don't see it happening.

Just like I don't see it happening here in the USA that we regulate cruise lines to stop dumping human crap into the ocean, and other businesses from dumping waste into fresh water rivers and streams. They do it, because they can, and there is no policing it or regulating it, because we value profits and GDP here more than anything else. We live in a world where we preach "made in the USA" and yet Wilsons, Harley Davidson's and Fords have parts manufactured in China lol

 

[max]

I just don't buy Wilson.

It's a marketing firm disguised as a sporting goods company.

 

[Cirish65]

The only racquet I ever had from Wilson that caused me problems was an Ncode that I had in the early 2000's. I see they have rereleased it. I've always suspected the one I purchased new from **** was counterfeit as the branding seemed "off." Unfortunately this one fell apart on a service return right at the lower part of the bridge.

 

[Dartagnan64]

I think that you need to speak up when something is not right, whether they listen to you or not. If they get enough people complaining they will make a change, just like everybody knows that they paint tour players racquets to look like the newest models, even though they are older models, which is also not right. The pros in most cases have completely different racquets that the manufacturers advertise, Wilson had someone who took legal action and they had to changed from "Used by to Designed by" As a paying customer you must demand what you paid for..

Wilson doesn’t advertise matched specs. So this is not “what you paid for” but rather a heightened expectation. As I said, 99.999% of the tennis population plays just the same no matter the racket variance and doesn’t care. They also don’t know the pros are playing paint jobs. This forum is not indicative at all of the tennis public.

But sure, you have every right to speak up, but know you represent a tiny tiny group of rec players. There are min- maxers in every hobby but they are rarely a big representation of the general public. So most companies ignore them.

if I’m Wilson I’d ask you to prove that the variance impacted your performance with USTA match results before I’d give any credence to your complaint.

 

[crobison]

The only racquet I ever had from Wilson that caused me problems was an Ncode that I had in the early 2000's. I see they have rereleased it. I've always suspected the one I purchased new from **** was counterfeit as the branding seemed "off." Unfortunately this one fell apart on a service return right at the lower part of the bridge.

Sorry to hear that..

 

[crobison]

No one says it's right, but it's an unlikely battle. I don't think it's right that Wilson, a company founded in the USA values profits over quality. This is the USA and we value nothing but profits at the top. It's all about the bottom line, we make it easy for businesses to do what they want. Surely Wilson could manufacture sporting goods with higher quality, they could manufacture here in the US or Japan, but Wilson is much more interested in squeezing every dollar as long as they can still sell their products to the average consumer. This is the way of life here in the good ole' USA. They do it because they can. If people keep buying, they can keep manufacturing cheaply. If there is no regulatory body that exists to control tolerances in sporting goods (or a cultural obligation to sell a quality to the people, like in Japan), they can sell you a racquet filled with human crap and as long as people keep buying, they can keep selling.

The best thing that can happen is that the word spreads enough to where people stop buying and start writing letters (myself included) to complain about the quality. If it hurts their bottom line, then they may change. But I just don't see it happening.

Just like I don't see it happening here in the USA that we regulate cruise lines to stop dumping human crap into the ocean, and other businesses from dumping waste into fresh water rivers and streams. They do it, because they can, and there is no policing it or regulating it, because we value profits and GDP here more than anything else. We live in a world where we preach "made in the USA" and yet Wilsons, Harley Davidson's and Fords have parts manufactured in China lol

It's sad..

 

[fox]

Wilson doesn’t advertise matched specs. So this is not “what you paid for” but rather a heightened expectation. As I said, 99.999% of the tennis population plays just the same no matter the racket variance and doesn’t care. They also don’t know the pros are playing paint jobs. This forum is not indicative at all of the tennis public.

But sure, you have every right to speak up, but know you represent a tiny tiny group of rec players. There are min- maxers in every hobby but they are rarely a big representation of the general public. So most companies ignore them.

if I’m Wilson I’d ask you to prove that the variance impacted your performance with USTA match results before I’d give any credence to your complaint.

What? I mean if you put on your website and racquet directly that the racquet is 300 gr should I expect it isn’t? If you buy new PC with 16GB RAM memory are you ok if you find out there is only 12 inside? Of course there is some tolerance but Wilson is way off even of their tolerance sometimes.

 

[Lorenn]

What? I mean if you put on your website and racquet directly that the racquet is 300 gr should I expect it isn’t? If you buy new PC with 16GB RAM memory are you ok if you find out there is only 12 inside? Of course there is some tolerance but Wilson is way off even of their tolerance sometimes.

You should expect it will be within their tolerances of 300 grams. It is still a racquet, it is not missing any strings. Frame is not cracked. Racquet size is not eighty-five versus ninety-eight. You can play with it. If you bought 16 GB of Ram and were told it should weight 300 grams but it weighed 298 or 302 grams...but it still performed like 16 gb of ram of any other maker...that is where the debate is...Anytime you have mass production you will have variances. There is a reason they make prostock frames like they do versus just letting players use standard frames. Almost everything made has some weight variances.

 

[crobison]

What? I mean if you put on your website and racquet directly that the racquet is 300 gr should I expect it isn’t? If you buy new PC with 16GB RAM memory are you ok if you find out there is only 12 inside? Of course there is some tolerance but Wilson is way off even of their tolerance sometimes.

Imagine, the individual who taught the Japanese Quality Control was an American Engineer Edward Demming and we can't get it right.. uff

 

[Lorenn]

Imagine, the individual who taught the Japanese Quality Control was an American Engineer Edward Demming and we can't get it right.. uff

We would have to give them the Demming Award. Simply a mater of if it is worth paying the extra cost to tighten standards. There are firms which produce to a higher quality standard. Everyone is free to vote with their dollars and buy from them. Wilson is exceptional at making a desirable product. If you need one insanely close to spec I strongly suggest paying for a matching service. If you think all racquets should be close to goal weight/balance/etc I suggest buying from a firm that strives to do so.

 

[Dartagnan64]

What? I mean if you put on your website and racquet directly that the racquet is 300 gr should I expect it isn’t? If you buy new PC with 16GB RAM memory are you ok if you find out there is only 12 inside? Of course there is some tolerance but Wilson is way off even of their tolerance sometimes.

I do not expect anything to match weight specs precisely. Whether that's my car, my cell phone, my fridge, etc. I expect manufacturing processes to always have variance for weight.

Similarly I'm sure all 16GB RAM PC's are not precisely 16GB. But they aren't 12 GB. And Wilson Rackets aren't off by 25% either. And if they had such variances, no one would buy their product just like no one will buy a PC where the RAM varies by 25%. Wilson has determined their variances do not lead to a reduction in sales that would warrant increasing the costs of manufacturing. While disappointing, it's certainly within their rights as a company to follow this path.

There is ample evidence from this forum to inform the spec-obsessive that they should either look to a different company or hire a matching service. Caveat Emptor.

 

[fox]

I do not expect anything to match weight specs precisely. Whether that's my car, my cell phone, my fridge, etc. I expect manufacturing processes to always have variance for weight.

Similarly I'm sure all 16GB RAM PC's are not precisely 16GB. But they aren't 12 GB. And Wilson Rackets aren't off by 25% either. And if they had such variances, no one would buy their product just like no one will buy a PC where the RAM varies by 25%. Wilson has determined their variances do not lead to a reduction in sales that would warrant increasing the costs of manufacturing. While disappointing, it's certainly within their rights as a company to follow this path.

There is ample evidence from this forum to inform the spec-obsessive that they should either look to a different company or hire a matching service. Caveat Emptor.

I mentioned in my post that of course variances happen. But if you buy a Blade Pro which should be 305 gr but in fact it’s more of 315 gr, I do not agree it is acceptable. Not to mention balance and SW. And it is not the case of being spec obsessive because I could play with 300-305 gr racquet effectively but not 315 gr.... it is like different weight range.

And my post was related mainly to Wilson doesn’t advertise matched specs sentence - if they put it as specs then they adverise matched specs... I would agree with you if they put weight range instead of specific weight.

 

[Lorenn]

I mentioned in my post that of course variances happen. But if you buy a Blade Pro which should be 305 gr but in fact it’s more of 315 gr, I do not agree it is acceptable. Not to mention balance and SW. And it is not the case of being spec obsessive because I could play with 300-305 gr racquet effectively but not 315 gr.... it is like different weight range.

So ~3% is too much... what percentage would be reasonable? Do you have any solutions to prevent the issue? You could test racquets and return them. Pay for matching service. Buy Pro Stock and adapt it to your weight. Buy another brand...

 

[just out]

No one says it's right, but it's an unlikely battle. I don't think it's right that Wilson, a company founded in the USA values profits over quality. This is the USA and we value nothing but profits at the top. It's all about the bottom line, we make it easy for businesses to do what they want. Surely Wilson could manufacture sporting goods with higher quality, they could manufacture here in the US or Japan, but Wilson is much more interested in squeezing every dollar as long as they can still sell their products to the average consumer. This is the way of life here in the good ole' USA. They do it because they can. If people keep buying, they can keep manufacturing cheaply. If there is no regulatory body that exists to control tolerances in sporting goods (or a cultural obligation to sell a quality to the people, like in Japan), they can sell you a racquet filled with human crap and as long as people keep buying, they can keep selling.

The best thing that can happen is that the word spreads enough to where people stop buying and start writing letters (myself included) to complain about the quality. If it hurts their bottom line, then they may change. But I just don't see it happening.

Just like I don't see it happening here in the USA that we regulate cruise lines to stop dumping human crap into the ocean, and other businesses from dumping waste into fresh water rivers and streams. They do it, because they can, and there is no policing it or regulating it, because we value profits and GDP here more than anything else. We live in a world where we preach "made in the USA" and yet Wilsons, Harley Davidson's and Fords have parts manufactured in China lol

Sorry for defending Wilson but for me their quality control is not something that would prevent me from buying their racquets, usually meet my expectations. I understand many are expecting a certain higher level of quality control but what we see in Wilson is not exclusive or more prevalent in US products is it? I see this in products made all over the world, regardless of whether parent companies are US owned. Also, just curious, of the worlds polluters of air and water, and exploiters of fisheries and marine life, etc., where do you think the US ranks, even with respect to Japan?

 

[Dansan]

Sorry for defending Wilson but for me their quality control is not something that would prevent me from buying their racquets, usually meet my expectations. I understand many are expecting a certain higher level of quality control but what we see in Wilson is not exclusive or more prevalent in US products is it? I see this in products made all over the world, regardless of whether parent companies are US owned. Also, just curious, of the worlds polluters of air and water, and exploiters of fisheries and marine life, etc., where do you think the US ranks, even with respect to Japan?

I think you are missing the point. You'd think the USA is a leader in producing companies that put out quality, and hire american workers, make american made goods, ect. You'd think Harley Davidson is all 'Murica for all the big game people talk. You'd think we would take care of our environment and care about the fresh water and air here....but nope. We are pretty much in bed and the same as China lol

 

[just out]

I get your point, agree, by purchasing from and getting cheap materials and products from China US companies are supporting them, one of the worlds biggest polluters, not to mention other issues with human rights, etc. Unfortunately most consumers are not willing to pay higher prices for quality.

 

[just out]

I just sold a few Yonex racquets I don't use anymore and when I looked at them closely it did occur to me that these were the highest quality frames I owned but I just didn't like the way they played. Looking at new Yonex prices now I think they are really getting high, do you think they are worth the price? I really don't, some of my favorite frames are mid priced frames or frames I can get used for a third of what a new Yonex would cost.

 

[blablavla]

No one says it's right, but it's an unlikely battle. I don't think it's right that Wilson, a company founded in the USA values profits over quality. This is the USA and we value nothing but profits at the top. It's all about the bottom line, we make it easy for businesses to do what they want. Surely Wilson could manufacture sporting goods with higher quality, they could manufacture here in the US or Japan, but Wilson is much more interested in squeezing every dollar as long as they can still sell their products to the average consumer. This is the way of life here in the good ole' USA. They do it because they can. If people keep buying, they can keep manufacturing cheaply. If there is no regulatory body that exists to control tolerances in sporting goods (or a cultural obligation to sell a quality to the people, like in Japan), they can sell you a racquet filled with human crap and as long as people keep buying, they can keep selling.

The best thing that can happen is that the word spreads enough to where people stop buying and start writing letters (myself included) to complain about the quality. If it hurts their bottom line, then they may change. But I just don't see it happening.

Just like I don't see it happening here in the USA that we regulate cruise lines to stop dumping human crap into the ocean, and other businesses from dumping waste into fresh water rivers and streams. They do it, because they can, and there is no policing it or regulating it, because we value profits and GDP here more than anything else. We live in a world where we preach "made in the USA" and yet Wilsons, Harley Davidson's and Fords have parts manufactured in China lol

Wilson belongs to Amer Sports, a Finnish company that recently was purchased by a Chinese company.

 

[fox]

I just sold a few Yonex racquets I don't use anymore and when I looked at them closely it did occur to me that these were the highest quality frames I owned but I just didn't like the way they played. Looking at new Yonex prices now I think they are really getting high, do you think they are worth the price? I really don't, some of my favorite frames are mid priced frames or frames I can get used for a third of what a new Yonex would cost.

Yonex racquet are cheaper or same price as WIlson so I don't get this point.

So ~3% is too much... what percentage would be reasonable? Do you have any solutions to prevent the issue? You could test racquets and return them. Pay for matching service. Buy Pro Stock and adapt it to your weight. Buy another brand...

3% is only one way measurement. Because if you can have 10 gr more, you can get 10 gr less too. So in fact buying two 305 gr racquet means you can get one 315 gr and one 290 gr. If this is OK for you... Yes I have one solution which is buying Yonex frame and I do well with it...

 

[Lorenn]

Reply

3% is only one way measurement. Because if you can have 10 gr more, you can get 10 gr less too. So in fact buying two 305 gr racquet means you can get one 315 gr and one 290 gr. If this is OK for you... Yes I have one solution which is buying Yonex frame and I do well with it...

It is still ~3% +- from spec. Underspec is normally easy to correct. Over spec is where it becomes a real problem. So you either buy a racquet which is well under your goal or be careful in which racquets you end up with. Nothing wrong with buying from a firm which produces racquets with tighter tolerances. Making racquets is like playing tennis ...very few offer the complete package.

 

[boosto23]

Wilson belongs to Amer Sports, a Finnish company that recently was purchased by a Chinese company.

Wow, I didn’t know this. This and the poor quality control is keeping me from seriously considering a Wilson racket in the future.

 

[fox]

Reply


It is still ~3% +- from spec. Underspec is normally easy to correct. Over spec is where it becomes a real problem. So you either buy a racquet which is well under your goal or be careful in which racquets you end up with. Nothing wrong with buying from a firm which produces racquets with tighter tolerances. Making racquets is like playing tennis ...very few offer the complete package.

Just one more thing - percentage difference is useless in this case because tennis racquet is only around 300g. So for example 10% which seems not much is dramatic change. It is not a toy car which is 200g instead of 250g but who cares, it doesn’t matter.
And if you still think it is OK, then what about flaking paint? Paint chips (without hitting it)? Breaking grommets?

 

[Dansan]

Wilson belongs to Amer Sports, a Finnish company that recently was purchased by a Chinese company.

Yes, but the company is still headquartered in Chicago, and the CEO is an American, Michael Dowse, who also happens to be the president of the USTA. Right here in Lake Nona apparently he lives in my backyard. Maybe I should go tell him his quality control sucks?

Regardless of the parent company, they still operate in the US, and have "western" roots.

I just sold a few Yonex racquets I don't use anymore and when I looked at them closely it did occur to me that these were the highest quality frames I owned but I just didn't like the way they played. Looking at new Yonex prices now I think they are really getting high, do you think they are worth the price? I really don't, some of my favorite frames are mid priced frames or frames I can get used for a third of what a new Yonex would cost.

I also have tried several Yonex frames and while they have near perfect quality control, I just can't seem to gel with them. For whatever reason, despite wilson's crap tolerances - I'm part of the problem, I keep buying them because I play best with them

 

[Lorenn]

Just one more thing - percentage difference is useless in this case because tennis racquet is only around 300g. So for example 10% which seems not much is dramatic change. It is not a toy car which is 200g instead of 250g but who cares, it doesn’t matter. And if you still think it is OK, then what about flaking paint? Paint chips (without hitting it)? Breaking grommets?

Discussing the actual percentage off it quite important. You keep increasing the percentage/amount. You are up to +-30 grams. I prefer to discuss real numbers versus made up. Not defending Wilson, simply trying to help other people make the right choice for them. Looking at matching racquet data might help to give actual range. Racquets tend to come with a warranty. OP even used the warranty and ended up with a new racquet. Still upset because they didn't want to spend twenty dollars on a matching service. Just think how much time and effort would've been saved had they been willing to do so. Quality control and low tolerances costs money, it has to be paid somewhere. Each firm makes their own choice how much to spend there. Each consumer can decide which brand to buy... If no one will willing to reward the firms which make a product to a higher standard, the other firms will never change.

 

[crobison]

Discussing the actual percentage off it quite important. You keep increasing the percentage/amount. You are up to +-30 grams. I prefer to discuss real numbers versus made up. Not defending Wilson, simply trying to help other people make the right choice for them. Looking at matching racquet data might help to give actual range. Racquets tend to come with a warranty. OP even used the warranty and ended up with a new racquet. Still upset because they didn't want to spend twenty dollars on a matching service. Just think how much time and effort would've been saved had they been willing to do so. Quality control and low tolerances costs money, it has to be paid somewhere. Each firm makes their own choice how much to spend there. Each consumer can decide which brand to buy... If no one will willing to reward the firms which make a product to a higher standard, the other firms will never change.

It's not a point of spending the 20 dollars or not, it's the point that why should you spend that? If the racquets had small differences that could be remedied by lead tape. Case in point explain how yonex has such high quality and at the same prices as it's competitors?