Category Archives: Good News!
Happy New Year!
2019 here we come! It is going to be hard to top 2018 but we will do it…together!
Together includes Racquet Quest, LLC, You, Racquet makers, string makers, and everyone interested in the growth of tennis.
The mission of Racquet Quest is to provide the best possible playing experience based on data. Data assures you are getting the proper combination of all equipment.
Tennis cannot grow if players can’t play due to injury or discomfort!
Most of our regular customers know this and take advantage of us…you can too!
Happy New Year!
A Little Down Time!
To the thousands of you that tried to view the Racquet Quest site in the last 65 hours I apologize for the down time! To the 2 or 3 of you ( I know who you are) that did not try to view the site I also apologize!
The site is up and running normally so now is a good time to make a comment and suggestions for new content.
Thank you to all the new subscribers!
Brittany Tagliareni…a Winner!
In all the years I have been involved in tennis racquets I have worked with players of all levels, from top-ranked to no ranking at all! The one thing that remains constant is that every player received the same attention to a goal.
Typically that goal is to win!
As I reflect on the high points of this journey there are a few players that really stand out. One of those players is Brittany Tagliareni.
- Brittany is one of the best tennis players in the world.
- Brittany has won many awards and accolades from the tennis community and press.
- Brittany is Autistic.
Here is the deal. Every day I talk to players about the most minuscule of performance specifications…one (1) gram here, one gram there, one (1) pound here, and so on.
Brittany is different.
Brittany is very busy and wants to get to her next function whether it is taking care of dogs or tennis! She really doens’t want to talk to me about tennis racquets!
So, to really understand what needs to be done her mother, Catherine, communicates for Brittany.
Brittany plays with a Yonex SV100 racquet strung with Ashaway Monogut ZX at 46 pounds.
She travels with three (3) matched racquets. This is where it gets interesting and one of the reasons I wanted to write this post.
Brittany needed some extra encouragement to hold the racquet with the proper grip (she is left-handed) to generate the amount of spin her coach wanted her to have. Just telling Brittany how to hold the racquet was not consistently working so we re-shaped the grip to offer some tactile “encouragement”.
The grip has been changed to have different “feelings” for each bevel of the grip shape. So one side is exaggerated for a certain length on the grip and other sides were accentuated shape wise.
The grip re-shaping had to be done in a laminated way because it works, is expedient, and minimizes costs associated with major grip modifications.
Now when Brittany holds the racquet she can feel exactly where it needs to be.
Brittany goes to Washington, and beyond!
See what Brittany has accomplished.
Brittany is incredibly busy so it is difficult to keep up with all of her travels. Most recently she was in Dubai!
Head Graphene 360 Extreme
If you can’t get by Racquet Quest to take a look at this exciting new racquet just take a look at this video!
The specifications will be posted here as soon as possible, but in the meantime…
You Have Been Waiting for These!
You may not know it but you have been waiting for these!
Head continues with thier anniversary edition parade! It seems twenty-five years is a good time to re-introduce the racquet(s) that made history then!
Head Radical 107
Head Radical 98 Limited Edition
The Head Radical 107 OS is a remake of the Andre Agassi racquet that is true to the characteristics of the era! Great weight, perfect flex, workable swingweight, a 18×19 string pattern, a 107 square inch head, and minimal graphics! This may be the purest example of a remake I have ever seen. It even comes with the rubber band vibration dampers Andre used!
The Head Radical 98 MP is the newer racquet geometry and 98 head size. The graphics reach back twenty-five years for the colors but the design is definately contemporary. Plus, this racquet accepts the Head Pro Player Cap System grommet set. Yes, that means you can turn this Radical into a “beast” just like the previous versions!
I will be posting all the specifications of both of these as soon as possible but they are in the shop so please come by and take a look, and feel, for yourself. These are limited edition racquets.
What is Universal Tennis Rating (UTR)
In my opinion, and what I know about UTR, it is a giant leap forward in the tennis “ranking” category! I see more players referring to their UTR in an effort to maximize the setup of their tennis racquets.
UTR has teamed up with Team8 to increase the capabilities of the UTR system.
Here is a link to the press release:
https://blog.universaltennis.com/2018/08/23/utr-powered-by-oracle-announces-new-strategic-investment-and-partnership-with-team8/?utm_source=UTR+Updates&utm_campaign=2795653dd9-UTR-Powered-Event-PreEventMailer2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bd55ad6d68-2795653dd9-456069013
A New Logo!
After all these years of the old “RQ” it is time for a new look!
Please ket us know if you like the new look!
US Open Stringing Event
My good friends Tim Strawn and Grant Morgan are going to be at the Wilson stringing “stage” during the US Open! Tim and Grant will be answering questions about what “really” goes on in the stringing room at a major event. Ron Rocchi, of Wilson, is the Director of Stringing and Team Leader of this event. Ron is normally too busy to answer questions but Tim and Grant are there for you.
I believe this is the first time spectators will be able to ask questions in this kind of setting. So, if you are at the US Open this year be sure to find these guys. I am sure their times will be posted somewhere. Take advantage of this opportunity.
Ask Grant about the time he… huh, well, maybe not!
Turn the Head Radical Pro Into a Beast!
I am very happy to see players of every age returning to, or buying for the first time, racquets that have some weight! Weight is your friend! Any racquet can be “customized” to suit the needs of the player, of course.
But what do you do if you already own a Head Radical Pro? You simply add the Head Players Cap System to your current Radical Pro. This can be done the next time the racquet needs stringing and can be removed at the next stringing if wanted.
This is a “side by side” look at the Cap System Radical and the standard Radical. You will need to like the color “orange”.
The Cap System can be added to many past Radical Pro racquets. The Cap System does not fit the Radical MP, unfortunately.
The image below shows the racquets and the specifications of each one. You can see the difference between the two. It is obvious that the major difference will be weight and swing weight. The numbers between the two racquets are the data for the Radical Pro with the Cap System.
Turn the Head Radical into a Beast!
Racquet Quest, LLC
