Category Archives: String Patterns

Players Please…Part Two

Racquet Quest, LLC is for players!

Players’ input helps shape what we do. Now, we would appreciate your help in focusing on what you need, whether you’re a player, parent of a player, coach, or enthusiast.

Racquet Quest evaluates, tests, and reports on anything we can verify.

The Racquet Quest YouTube Channel is a way you can see and hear what we are doing and how it can affect you. So, please spend about 18 minutes with us!

What About Me?

A lifetime dedicated to racquet technology and innovation

For more than five decades, I have been immersed in the world of tennis racquet and string design, manufacturing, and performance optimization. As the owner of Racquet Quest, LLC, I’ve combined deep technical expertise with hands-on innovation to set new benchmarks in racquet customization, diagnostics, and stringing.

My journey has been defined by a relentless pursuit of precision and performance—whether with professionals, college,  junior tournament players, in the lab, or in front of an audience, sharing knowledge with peers.

Advanced diagnostic technology

At Racquet Quest, technology and science drive results. I’ve integrated some of the most advanced diagnostic equipment available, alongside proprietary systems I’ve developed, to provide unmatched insights into racquet and string performance:

  • True Tension Stringing Machines – pioneering distortion-free stringing
  • Babolat Racket Station & Wilson Baiardo Stringing Machines – industry-leading accuracy
  • Babolat RDC (Racquet Diagnostic Center) – comprehensive racquet analysis
  • Questron proprietary string testing equipment – measuring ultimate tensile strength, stress/strain, knot strength, and more
    • Three-string comparative graphing tools – side-by-side performance visualization
    • Flex, In-Plane, and String Bed Stiffness devices – quantifying structural dynamics
    • Custom portable SBS device – portable precision testing

By combining these tools, I’ve been able to capture and refine the delicate balance between tension, elasticity, and structural integrity, pushing racquet performance beyond traditional standards.

Innovation in design and customization

Innovation has always been central to my work. Some of the highlights include:

  • Development of the Perfect Pallet grip system with a custom three-piece anti-vibration design
  • Expertise in Special MakeUp (SMU/Pro Stock) racquets for elite players
  • Custom racquet extensions and modifications tailored to individual needs
  • Proprietary software solutions for collecting and analyzing racquet and string performance data

These advancements have helped players—from juniors to professionals—experience greater consistency, comfort, and control on court.

Experience on the global stage

  • My expertise extends well beyond the workshop:
    • 50 years in racquet and string design and manufacturing
    • Professional event stringing services for several years at major tournaments
    • Seminar presenter for 12+ years, sharing expertise with players, coaches, and technicians
    • Delivered the acclaimed session “Understanding String” at the 1994 Super Show in Atlanta, hosted by the United States Racquet Stringers Association

This combination of hands-on service and educational leadership has helped shape best practices across the racquet service community.

Media and knowledge sharing

I believe that expertise should be shared widely. To that end, I’ve created multiple platforms to bring racquet knowledge to players and enthusiasts worldwide:

  • RacquetQuest.tennis – a hub for insights and resources on racquet technology
  • Racquet Quest Podcast, Podcastini, and Podcast Midi – covering everything from string science to on-court trends

Through these channels, I aim to make the science of racquets accessible to every level of the game.

⸻

Tennis continues to evolve, and so does racquet technology. At Racquet Quest, I remain committed to research, testing, and innovation that give players an edge while deepening their understanding of how equipment shapes performance.

Whether stringing for professionals, customizing for serious competitors, or educating the next generation of racquet technicians, the mission remains the same: deliver precision, performance, and passion through technology.

Tennis and Tariffs

If we thought tennis would sneak under the “tariff” radar we were wrong, wrong, wrong!

Every new new racquet we receive has a new line item on the Invoice.  That line item is “Tariff”

However, there is a really good way to skip the tariff and still get a fanastic tennis racquet.  As a “technical” shop, Racquet Quest, LLC has the advantage of recognizing extraordinary tennis racquets and having them in stock.  While others may think this is not a good business model, we think othewise!

The Head Prestige, for example is well represented with our new Prestige SMU in an 18 x 19 string pattern that we believe is going to be experiencing a surge in popularity.  We may discuss our belief in a future post.

Head Prestige SMU.                       407.491.4755

This is a quick, and small, portion of the Head Prestige SMU.  We call these “Special Make Up”
racquets, meaning they will need to be specially made for you!  Some would call them “Pro Stock” but whatever you call them they are very special.

These racquets are
uncut”meaning we can create a tennis racquet that is 28 inches long, however, we do not recommend that length for most players, although we have made several.

If you wold like to have more information just send us a text.

 

 

A Long Head Gravity Tour 98

As a high performance racquet technologies business, we have requests for everything imaginable, some not so imaginable! Long racquets are at the top of the list.

Full Custom Head Gravity Tour 98!


Here is a review of a Head Gravity Tour 98 2025 SMU that is 27.75 inches long/70.485cm. See if you can determine which property is most affected by the length.

You can see the string properties here as data taken on our Questron.

ManufacturerHead
Racquet ModelHead Gravity Tour 98 2025 SMU
Reference Tension57

String
MonoGut ZX Pro
Machine UsedTrue Tension Pro
Static
String Bed Stiffness - RDC52
String Bed Stiffness -FlexFour61.0
Strig Bed Stiffness - SBS50.6
String Bed Stiffness - ERT37
Racquet Flex, RDC58
Racquet Flex, FlexFour43
Racquet - In Plane Stiffness429.5
Weight, Grams335
Weight, Ounces11.82
Balance, mm331
Balance, Inch13.03
Length, Cm70.5
Length, Inch27.756
Head Width9.86
Head Length12.71
Head Area, cm2633.6
Head Area, Sq. Inch98.2
Beam Height @ Grip, mm21.3
Beam Height @ Mid, mm21
Beam Height @ Tip21.5
Beam Width @ Grip, mm10.5
Beam Width @ Throat, mm10.6
Beam Width @ Mid, mm10.8
Beam Width @ Tip, mm12.2
Number of Main Strings16
Number of Cross Strings19
Ratio.650
Main String Grid Inch/mm7.72/196.1
Cross String Grid Inch/mm10.25/260.4
Density (% of head filled with string).785
Average Cross String Space.546
Average Main String Space.464
Dynamic
Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT37
Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in206.94
First Moment, Nm.858
Polar Moment362
Torsional Stability18
Swing Weight, Kg/cm2344
Swing Weight, Ounces12.13
Swing Weight Calculated367.0
Power, RDC49
Control, RDC52
Manueverability, RDC57
Power, Calculated 2096.5
Head Points6.77
Head Weight, %47%
Center of Percussion21.44
Dwell Time, ms6.492
Efective Stiffness - lbs27.42
K, Lb/In166.67
Recoil Weight167.7
Twist Weight242.8
End Weight 131.6
Tip Weight 202./6
9 O'Clock94.7
3 O'Clock94.9
Butt End144.5
COF, Main.339
COF, Cross.300