Category Archives: Business
String Pairings?
Racquets & Wine!
Every once in a while I enjoy a sip, or two, of wine with the food I am eating. I must admit, however, that I don’t adhere to “pairings” so much!
I have eaten shrimp with a Cabernet! And I have had a good Pinot Noir with hearty pasta! Good grief! In some circles this would be unheard of! Do you let the suggested “Pairings” influence you or do you go with your taste instead?
But what does this have to do with tennis racquets? What if there were “pairings” for tennis racquets and string? Would you take these “suggestions” into account when it is time to have your racquet strung?
Unlike a bottle of wine, that is good for a couple of hour’s maybe, you expect your string to last much longer. So, would you consider upgrading from a $20.00 bottle of wine to a $35.00 based on the “pairings” recommendation? Is that worth $7.50 per hour?
Likewise would you consider upgrading to a $45.00 string from your standard $25.00 string if it would be better for your game, and last much longer than a bottle of wine?
The point of this post is that there is a “pairing” concept for tennis racquets and players! In some cases these “pairings” are completely ignored by many players due to any number of influences. Influences such as advertising, player endorsements, partner pressure, stringer pressure, and to a lesser degree, cost.
Now, the next time you have your racquet strung ask your stringer for a “pairings” recommendation and see what happens. And, if your stringer pro-actively recommends a “pairing” ask why and be sure it suits your “taste”.
Keep in mind that keeping your racquet freshly strung will be just as much fun as a good wine…
And cost less!
Happy Friday!
What is Important to You?
When you take your tennis racquet in for “service” what do you want to know from the “service provider”?
Do you simply want to say “string this thing at 60 pounds” and leave? Or, do you want to know what tension may be better for your playing style? Or, how about finding out that there is a brand new string that will make you a “better” player?
Maybe a little added swing weight can improve your game, too. How about listening too a brief presentation about “stringing frequency and value”? Do you want to be “automatically” alerted that it has been a specified length of time since your last stringing?
You see, there are many topics that are important to you and me. Over time I will have the answers to all of my questions regarding your preferences and these will be available in my RacquetRecord software. But, what if we could establish those preferences like we do when we use a new version of software? One of the first things we do in software is set our “preferences” then we rarely mess with them.
Just like with software, there are advances being made every day in the realm of tennis racquets and tennis racquet string.
This is the conundrum! How much information is enough but not too much! How much do you want to know? This is a serious question and I appreciate answers, please.
I will continue to write about things I think are important so when you come to, or send your racquets to, Racquet Quest, LLC, or any other racquet service provider, you will be prepared with your “preferences”. I want to take as much time as you feel is necessary to get the result you are expecting. You simply must let me know how much time that is, because, I can talk about tennis racquets and string for a long time!
IMG for Sale
IMG, International Management Group, is for sale. So, you ask? IMG is, probably, the genesis of the sports management business. Mark McCormack started IMG with a client named Arnold Palmer, and, as they say the rest is history. IMG represents some of the best tennis players in the world.
The reason I even mention this is that in 1970, I think, I had a meeting at the IMG Headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio with Mr. Bud Stanner, Ian Tiriac, and Robert Naillet to present my newly designed tennis racquet for their consideration. I won’t go into detail but that is a meeting that will stay with me forever.
So, if you have an extra 2 billion dollars handy you may want to make an offer for IMG.
Racquet Quest, LLC
