Racquet Quest is in the racquet technology business! What does that even mean?

It means we devote a great deal of our time to understanding racquets and what makes them ”tick”. Of course, it is fun and meaningful but sometimes not well understood.

Hardly a week goes by that I don’t have a request for “Pro Stock” racquets of some sort. But what does that mean?

To help sort out this question I reached out to one of the people in this industry that knows the answer! Jerry, I will call him, works for a major racquet manufacturer and is responsible for racquets for professional players. I asked him to comment on the following narrative. The responses are in red.

Pro Stock Racquets.  What does that even mean?

“Rackets which have been customized to players need.”

“Many people believe that pro players are using different construction, which is actually not true; a reason to think so is that these people have no idea about racket production.”

For years, it has been the position of manufacturers that the “retail” version of racquets did not work for the top world ranked player(s). So what to do?

“Players need different weight/balance/swing weight than regular players due to their fitness and technique.”

Many “pro” players prefer the model they started their career with but those racquets have long been replaced by newer, and mostly, better technology regarding materials. Of course, it is “possible” to use the older mold, (the mold is not the graphite tube), to re-create the preferred geometry and feel. I doubt that the materials I used in our racquets many years ago are still available.

“If players are used to their old/first racket as their extension of the arm/hand in many cases they don´t want to switch unless they feel they have to!”

Probably the most important consideration is the third paragraph. “Players need different weight/balance/swing weight than regular players due to their fitness and technique.” Why would I even think I can play with the “same” racquet as Roger, Novak, Andy, Rafa, and the rest of the top players! It is simply not possible.

Yesterday I finished an “evaluation” racquet for a pro player with a swing weight of 400 kg/cm² with an “even” balance.  Is this a “pro stock” racquet, or just a racquet that has been radically customized?

I can, however, make my racquet the best it can be for ME! So, let’s go back to the top of the page,“Rackets which have been customized to players need.”

It doesn’t matter to me at what level you play but as racquet “technoligsts” we can help you be a better player.