Category Archives: Business

What is Pointy?

May 31

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Briefly, Pointy is a program that allows shoppers to enter a barcode, or Google product search online, to see if that product is available locally.

As a long time user of Square as the POS in the shop, we engaged with Pointy as a service through Square so our clients can quickly see what we have in stock.   A link to our Pointy shop is below so you can take a look around and let me know what it needs to be a valuable resource for you.

Every product you see on the page was input by Racquet Quest so it is in stock at the time the shop was opened, however, the images are supplied by the software so some may not be exactly updated packaging.

Just click here and browse the store!

If you have any questions or would like to hear about any “special offers” please call or text!

Posted in Business, Custom Racquets, Customization!, Good News!, Graphene, Grips, Inspiration, Learning, Natural Gut String, PEEK, Racquets, String

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Where do you buy tennis racquets, and why?

Mar 9

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I wrote this post a long time ago but I recently saw where a tennis store was closing after many years of service to the community.  I have NO idea if what I am writing about had anything to do with the closing but here it is:

Making a tennis racquet selection, and purchasing that racquet, has changed quite a bit in the last 15-20 years. Is that a good or a bad thing? Well, I suppose it depends on who you ask, but from a tennis racquet specialist, it is a serious question.

It is no secret or great revelation that racquet manufacturers want to maximize their income and bottom line, and what better way to do that than reduce the number of channels they need to manage!

Pretend for a moment that I am the CEO of XYZ Racquet Company, and I can sell 75 to 85 percent of all my racquets to two or three online operations. Why wouldn’t I do that? These chosen outlets would be “house” accounts, so there is a minimal cost of sales, so no need for outside representatives, or all these in-house CSR’s!

I want you, the customer, to go to a local shop. You can see several racquets and discuss each in detail and get recommendations as to which racquet may be best for you.

Great! Now the CEO wants you to hurry home, jump online, and order this racquet!
It sounds excellent to the CEO, but what about you, the customer?

Specialty racquet shops like Racquet Quest, LLC is in business to make this racquet the best purchase you can make! Here’s how.

A good shop will have knowledgeable tennis people there to help you.
A good shop will have a demo program.
A good shop will set up the demo as you will be using it. Yes, string and tension!
A good shop will take the time to help you make the right decision.
A good shop will be there for you if you need “after the sale” help.
A good shop will be able to string the racquet of your choice correctly.

And, all of this will probably be at a reasonable price, which includes “sales tax”! Sales tax is the 800-pound gorilla in the room, and this gorilla has convinced some buyers that they can save big bucks by not paying sales tax. Sales tax is an amount you can see, so it is easily quantified.

However, it isn’t very easy to quantify the assistance you get from your local shop, that is until you take time to think about it.

There are many reasons to buy from a local source, but some areas of the country don’t have a “local” source. So here is what I would do.

Search for a qualified racquet technician as close to you as possible. Talk to them, and if you are satisfied, have the racquet you buy online drop-shipped to them for preparation. They will be committed to an excellent job because they know you will send the racquet back to them if it is not done properly!

 

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Welcome to Orlando, USTA!

Jan 16

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Racquet Quest, LLC is very happy, and excited, to have the USTA National Campus nearby!  If you have not visited the campus yet, you should make it a priority!  Not only is it beautiful it is full of technology that will benefit all tennis players.

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Of course, the people of Fromuth Sports have put together an outstanding “pro shop” filled with tempting items!  In fact, I have not only been tempted I have purchased some items!

Recently I watched players on “Court 105” while working at the World Headquarters of Racquet Quest in Casselberry!  This a benefit of Play Site Technology that streams from several courts on the campus.

Play Site Opportunity!

Play Site Opportunity!

On the days I have been there it is evident that this facility will be a “destination” for tennis fans from around the world.  This campus will also be the “home” of UCF Tennis, plus, give local players and teams the opportunity to play more matches simultaneously.

If you are in the area, we invite you to take advantage of the racquet technologies expertise of Racquet Quest in Casselberry, Fl, about 35 minutes from the USTA National Campus.

Welcome to Orlando, USTA!

 

 

Posted in Business, Good News!, USTA Campus

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Ashaway Monogut ZX/ZX Pro – Update

Oct 21

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As most of you know I am a big fan of Ashaway Monogut ZX (16g) and ZX Pro (17G) string.  These models are PEEK mono filament strings that resemble polyester strings but these contain no polyester!

Here is the latest PR from Ashaway for your review.

Please let me know if you have any questions, and of course if you want to try this string.

Ashaway, RI – In a recent article on the growth and use of its popular MonoGut® ZX family of monofilament tennis strings, Ashaway Vice President Steve Crandall noted that, “it seems we’ve done something more than simply make a successful product.” While the company’s initial goal was to produce “a synthetic string to rival the performance of natural gut,” MonoGut ZX has emerged as a viable — and healthier — alternative to today’s arm shock inducing polyesters.
 
Says Crandall, “testing has shown that MonoGut ZX is indeed closer to natural gut in dynamic stiffness than any other synthetic string material. But it’s in the context of the current craze for polyester, and the need for more and more spin, that MonoGut ZX has made the greatest mark. These days everybody wants to improve their ‘up and down’ game, and play like the top pros with ‘heavy balls’ that drop like stones just inside the baseline. To generate that spin they think they need to use those so-called ‘high-tech,’ high-performance polyester strings, and many are paying a high price in impact related injuries.”
 
Not only do MonoGut ZX and ZX Pro strings generate spin as well as polyester, claims Crandall, but they do so without generating the same arm jarring, injury causing impact shock as the polyesters, and even help players recover from their impact related injuries. In the article, Crandall provides comments and testimony from a number of players and noted stringers on why they switched and continue to use the Zyex® based Ashaway string. These include two rising junior players, Clare McKee and Aditya Srinivasan; expert technician and recent Tennis Industry Racquet Stringer of the Year, John Gugel (www.racquetquest.com); well-known stringer and MRT Geoffrey Jones; and veteran player/stringer Eric Burke (www.hardcoretennis.net).
 
Crandall reports that while players initially switch to MonoGut ZX (or ZX Pro) for its ability to eliminate their arm pain — “its ‘healing power’ if you will” — they stay with it because it provides other playing benefits as well. “They love the power and control,” writes Crandall, “the ‘softness,’ comfort and overall feel of the string.” 
For example: Of his daughter Clare, stringer/coach Geoff McKee said, “since the switch [to MonoGut ZX], my daughter has had no elbow or wrist problems for four years.” And Clare herself: “I get good pop with these strings and good control. It helps me get more spin, especially on my serve and forehand.”
 
The parents of East Boys 12-year-old division player Aditya Srinivasan wanted a string that was durable but not a polyester that might injure him. Well-known stringer Geoffrey Jones said, “With Ashaway Monogut ZX Pro they found a soft durable string that almost has the same resilience, softness and safety as natural gut.”
 
John Gugel says, “The high elongation of the Monogut ZX series almost guarantees no arm issues… It is well known that natural gut is the string to use if there is an arm issue, but now Monogut ZX is an option.” That’s why MonoGut ZX strings have become his “primary strings.” MonoGut ZX, “works and looks like the “other” black string,” he said, “and is a perfect string for the player looking for comfort, spin, power, and durability.”
 
National level player/stringer/coach Eric Burke said: “Ashaway MonoGut ZX is the ONLY string that provides durability, feel, power, comfort, and tension maintenance. It is by far the best string to use as the crosses for hybrid stringing in those popular new ‘spin-enhancing’ racquets.”
 
Writes Crandall, “the MonoGut ZX bottom line for us is more than the business bottom line (which is OK, too!); it’s the satisfaction of knowing that we’ve been able to develop a string that is not only fundamentally healthier than the current injury causing polyester offerings, but one that disproves the conventional wisdom and beats those strings at their own game.”
 
He also notes that many people still want, “More… They want the same ‘healing’ properties as MonoGut ZX in a softer multifilament string bed. So,” he concluded, “stay tuned for some MonoGut ZX Multifilament news in early 2016.”
 
To read the complete article, ” Users Praise the Playability, Spin Generation, and ‘Healing Power’ of MonoGut® ZX Strings,” visit the Racket Stringing Tips section at www.Ashawayusa.com
 
Ashaway Racket Strings are made by Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co., the only U.S. manufacturer of string for squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton. Operated by the Crandall family since 1824, Ashaway has been making racquet strings since 1949, and is responsible for several important technical innovations. Ashaway has been the Official String of USA Racquetball for more than ten years, and is also the Official String of Professional Tennis Registry. Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co. also makes braided products for medical and industrial applications. For more information visit www.ashawayusa.com. Zyex is a registered trademark of Zyex Ltd.
 
For additional product information, contact: 
Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co.
PO Box 549
Ashaway, RI 02804 USA
Tel: (800) 556-7260 (U.S. only) or +1 (401) 377-2221
Fax: +1 (401) 377-9091
Twitter: @Ashaway1824

Posted in Business, Learning, Pain, PEEK, String, String - New, String Review, Tips

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