Avoiding Fake Tennis Racquets on Ebay

Another article on avoiding dissapointment from your next Ebay purchase by our Denver player Vamsee Konda.

As a follow up to my recent experience on purchasing, identifying and returning a fake racquet on Ebay, I thought I'll compile a list of steps anyone can take to avoid sour deals.

1. Purchase only from sellers within the US. Chinese sellers usually start their bidding at unbelivably low prices to get you interested. Once you buy their stuff and you decide to return it - you will have to pay a fortune to ship it back. Be sensible!!

2.  Pay attention to return policy. Dont get suckered in by low prices, buy items only when the seller accepts returns.

3. Buy only when your purchase is protected by Ebay. Usually displays the badge above.

4. Always ask for more pictures. Although it does not guarantee that your seller is posting pics of the racquet they are selling you. It atleast forces your sellers to find an authentic racquet if he is intentionally selling a fake. You especially need pics of the racquet neck and the handle butt cap. The racquet necks usually have holograms and the butt caps have serial numbers and other info.

5. Take pictures of your fake. If you have already received a fake racquet take pictures comparing your fake to an original. You will need this to make a strong case for getting your money back from Ebay. You can find more info here - http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/replica-counterfeit.html

6. Do not pay outside Ebay or Paypal. Do not under any circumstances agree to a deal outside Ebay. Paying via ebay/paypal/your credit card gives you an added layer of protection for your purchase. If you can prove that your seller duped you - there is a good chance of getting your money back.

7. Avoid the hassle and purchase from an authorized dealer. Most popular manufacturers like Head, Wilson, Babolat dictate the lowest price that their products can be sold for. So if someone is trying to sell a racquet for an unbeleivably low price - something is fishy. If  you are patient enough you will find a good deal at an authorized dealer like GolfSmith.

In my instance I tried to purchase a racquet on ebay for $115 and I had to pay for shipping it back to the seller another $12 - so my total = $127. I found a great deal on GolfSmith for $165 + free shipping + free stringing. Yes, I paid about $40 more but I know that its authentic and I can get my money back if something happens to my racquet.

Hope this helps - Vamsee

Fake Head YouTek Radical Pro

Our Denver League's Vamsee Konda recently purchased a Head YouTek Radical Pro on ebay and it turned out to be a fake. Here are his observations on how to identify a fake Radical Pro:

I purchased a Head YouTek Radical Pro on ebay recently for $115 and was waiting eagerly for it. I thought it was a reasonable price for someone who doesnt understand its value to sell if somehow they got hold of this racquet. Anyway, it got home ok, but it turned out to be a fake. It was so well made that if I didn't already own an original, it would have been really hard to distinguish.

I was able to return it and get my money back - but I feel lucky for not having lost any money. But I did manage to take some pictures with the idea that you can avoid a bad deal. By the way you can click on any of the images below to view them at full resolution.

The original on the left and the impostor on the right.

They look identical at first, they even weight almost the same and surprisingly they are also balanced the same - 2 pts head light.

Original on top, fake below

On closer inspection I noticed that the color is off. The fake has a brighter red shade, while the original is orangish.

Original on top, fake below

The criss cross pattern that runs around the inside of the racquet head is more distinct in the fake. Its not that disctinct in the original - its a litte more blended in.

Orignal on top, fake below

The "HEAD" letters towards the top left and right of the head are in chrome on the original, while they are black and not that distinct in the fake.

Head hologram sticker on the original

Missing sticker on the fake.

The fake racquet does not have a hologram sticker.

Original on the right and fake on the left

The original racquet had clearly marked serial number, grip size on the butt cap. The fake does not have this info and even the head logo is slightly off to the right.

Original on the right and fake on the left.

You can see the cheap workmanship on the fake (left) the leather grip does not wrap around neatly around the handle.

Fake

The cheap construction of the grommet strip is visible here, looks like its about to come off.

Chinese booklet

The booklet that came with the racquet was in Chinese.

There were several other examples of poor workmanship that was hard to capture via my camera. You can actually buy these fakes directly from China using websites like these - http://hemeitrade.en.made-in-china.com/product/ZMwnUBqlwicF/China-Head-YOUTEK-Radical-Pro.html for $50 a piece and make a profit by selling them on ebay. I have heard some horror stories on forums where people broke these racquets in a couple of weeks and lose all the money they paid because you get no warranties.

Summary

I am not saying that all racquets on Ebay are fake, but unfortunately its impossible to distinguish when you dont see the racquet with your eyes. How can you be sure that the pictures they post are from the racquet that you will get. If you are patient enough you can get a good deal from an authorized dealer like GolfSmith.

Hope this article provides you with enough things to check for before purchasing you racquet.

- Vamsee Konda

How does Hawk-Eye work in Tennis

We are all aware of the excitement and the drama that surrounds a line call that is challenged by a Tennis player. The results often being show on a huge screen to the disappointment or the excitement of the players on the court. Some players like Federer hate it and some love it. But how does the system work??


The technology behind the challenge system is owned by a UK based company Hawk-Eye Innovations. A series of cameras are placed at strategic locations all around the playing field and they capture the movement of the ball 60 times a second. This information is then used in the following manner:

2D (x,y)
The position of the ball in terms of both the depth and sideways movement on the court is calculated from each frame. Camera movement is compensated for by also tracking the lines of the court.

(c) - Hawk-Eye Innovations

3D (x,y,z)

Strategically placed cameras also capture the height of the ball from the playing surface, which when coupled with the horizontal displacement enables a 3-dimensional view of the Tennis ball's position.

(c) - Hawk-Eye Innovations

4D (x,y,z,t)

This process is repeated for each frame so that the 3D positions of the ball can be combined to produce a single trajectory of the flight of the ball.
 

(c) - Hawk-Eye Innovations

Bounce Mark

The trajectory is then used to calculate where the ball will land on the court. According to the rules of the game the call is then made.

(c) - Hawk-Eye Innovations.

Hawk-Eye's website claims that during the ITF's evaluation of the system, Hawk-Eye made the right call 100% of the time with an average error of 3.6 mm. These tests were performed in varying wind, light and temperature conditions. So there is a chance for error - however small that chance may be. Hawk-Eye was first used in the 2006 Hopman Cup in Perth, Western Australia, since then all major tournaments except French Open has embraced the use of Hawk-Eye. French Open administrators claim that Hawk-Eye has no place on the Clay Courts as the ball clearly leaves a mark where it lands. Hawk Eye is also very widely used in the game of Cricket, which is where Hawk-Eye was first tested and adopted.