The best example of distribution not going well would be adidas, wouldn't it? You can see how frustrated people are - the promise of a big brand entering the market has been dangling in front of their noses for more than half a year now, yet in Europe I still fail to see many things available. Might be different for other countries, I've seen some pictures of Canadian players using some rackets and MBS has a good variety in stock as well. Germany really isn't up to par, which is sad as it's their home country.
Yeah, more than 6 months is too long for the hype to last and can be annoying. Perhaps 2-3 months max is more reasonable in this day and age of instant gratification.
Hopefully news will be released soon about all the new rackets from Victor and then life will be a lot easier for some of us. Paul www.badminton-coach.co.uk
^ Yeah, like for you, who's probably about to burst at the seams trying to hold back what you want to say but can't.
Yeah there was a few things that Adidas didn't quite do right as well. These days if you don't have the numbers to launch simultaneously globally, then you have to pick your markets and set up your distribution in those markets first, re-assess, then branch out to other markets. A little bit of supply issues is good, a lot is bad. Also with Adidas, they're actually a licensing company based in Hong Kong, so their major concern probably isn't the German market....especially when you consider China is 60% of the global market.
No doubt the next few weeks will see the emergence of more information although the key thing we want to know is when is the stuff going to be available in our respective countries? I'll be writing my Thruster 6000 review this weekend and hopefully launching it Sunday evening or Monday morning. Paul www.badminton-coach.co.uk
*reposting from stringing thread* I sent my MX60/80 hole string pattern to a stringer at 28X30 lbs (1st time I tried him). When the racket came back, the bottom cross string is missing (string across B8-D8). There's also an extra cross string across A7-C7 but it is quite lose with almost no tension (moves way easily). Any suggestions whether to send it back or continue playing with it? I've attached a photo of the missed cross at D8... Funny thing is the string at B8 is not tied to any other string... Only the knot seems to be preventing it from passing through the grommet.. quite odd.
Complain and get your money back or send it back in. The knot is in danger of damaging the grommet or even frame at that position, and a faulty pattern is something you should always complain about immediately. Personally, I wouldn't continue going to a stringer that tried to pass off such a half-assed job. Everyone makes mistakes, but as a stringer sometimes you have to bite the bullet, cut the string/s and start again, and never give sth like this to a customer.
Oddly enough, he's supposedly one of the more reputable stringers. He's a shop owner, university teacher (badminton), trainer. I'm not sure whether he intentionally strung the racket with another pattern or he did it by mistake... Aside from the this issue, all other rackets sent to him turn out quite ok. As a matter of fact, the rackets he strung seem to retain tension better than the previous jobs of my other stringer. I'm having the racket returned tomorrow. He'll hopefully offer a fresh restring... As response to your question: Racket stringing here is quite cheap... BG-80 string + labor is ~9 USD. Other strings like NBG-98, BG-95, NBG-99 string at ~14USD
[MENTION=52818]bakulaw[/MENTION] I would return it, get my monex back and visit an other stringer. Never seen such a sloppy stringing job. Especially at higher tension it's dangerous to make mistakes and crappy things like tie off outside etc.
my opinion is that bottom cross means nothing... as well as the top one. the string doesn't play there. sure the empty grommet doesnt look neat but this doesnt change the overall performance or stability. it's just the design of the grommet pattern in the MX series, many other rackets with similar design have several wide shared grommets there so it's up for a stringer to choose where to start the crosses. i usually ask to string without the bottom and the top ones, tried both ways several times, dont notice much of a difference.
If you start too high at the bottom or miss a top cross it's possible to break the mains pretty fast at high tension if you mishit their. IMO it's a sign that the stringer don't care much about the patterns which don't speaks for quality. Some people don't care about tie off outside the frame or only 2 knots on a Yonex racket but this is also a no-go for a stringer who string every day rackets for customers and run a business. IMO its not reputable to give such a racket to somebody else. It's annoying if you can't claim warranty if you broke a racket with such a stringing job. Maybe we germans are too picky. It's like a frowsy haircut. Effect nothing much but you wouldn't go for one twice.
Also, it's not just the missing cross, the knot is in that empty grommet as well....which is not something you want as it damages the grommet.
I'm sorry....how can anyone even attempt to explain away an empty string hole as okay? I'm all for experimenting with stringing, but this looks to me for all intents-and-purposes to be a plain and simple f-up. Stop making excuses! Take the thing back.
Thanks for the inputs. The racket's on its way back to the stringer. I would have let the missing bottom cross slide. I'm more concerned about the tie off at the empty grommet.. as mentioned by @j4ckie 2nd, the extra cross at the top that has virtually no tension at all.. When I try to move the string, it moves by ~10 mm (5mm both ways). I think its a clear indication that the tension is not even across the racket.
As a few people pointed out, the major problem would be having a knot not tied at a string. I actually string my MX without the bottom cross and with an extra top cross because of mishits
