Since Thorndike “Graph-Pro” racquetball racquets were introduced several years ago, no attempt has ever been made to offer a lightweight version. Ted has done some research and found that some of the other manufacturers offer a lighter version of their standard racquet. In addition, some of the racquetball players he has talked to have said a lighter racquet would probably improve their game.
Talking with production engineers, Ted learns that the racquets coming off the line don’t all weigh the same anyway. According to the chief engineer, the racquets weigh an average of 240 grams, but the weights “vary all over the lot,” and he takes advantage of the situation to press for a high-tech $700,000 machine that would produce racquets of equal quality while holding this variation within narrower limits.