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Racquet repair

Q: After 12 years and over 10,000 string jobs without running into this situation, I’m starting to see problems on oversized, thin-wall racquets, where the grommet barrels are forcing their way through the carbon fiber at the shoulders of the racquet, usually on the mains. I have contacted manufacturers to see if there are any known manufacturing defects, but I’m always told there isn’t. In each case, the racquets have been replaced immediately. Do you have a way of repairing these racquets?

A: Repairing any damage to carbon fiber is going to be tricky — especially so in a tennis racquet because you can’t simply scrape away the finish, slather on a big, heavy patch, blend the edges with a little sandpaper, and expect the customer to thank you.

Therefore, your best bet will be to return these damaged racquets to the manufacturer. At the very least, you get a replacement racquet, and it’s possible that your feedback will encourage them to reinforce this area or make some other design modification in future racquets.

From the August 2007 issue
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