Compare racket offers by their ready-to-play total
Check the exact version, strings and fitting, then add the confirmed costs before comparing.
Check that you are comparing the same version
Write down the full model reference, weight class and handle size for each offer. A similar name or photo is not enough. The Yonex ASTROX 77 PLAY specification is one example of a manufacturer listing a weight class and handle options. It is a reference to check, not a recommendation to buy that racket.
Ask the seller to confirm the version actually supplied. If the versions differ, keep that difference beside the prices; do not describe them as the same racket.
Write down what each offer includes
For each offer, check these five points:
- The exact racket version.
- Whether strings are fitted and which string is included.
- Whether the string and fitting cost is included or charged separately.
- Whether an extra grip is included, optional or something you plan to add.
- The delivery charge and any other mandatory charges for your destination.
If a fitted string does not suit the setup you have agreed with the stringer, include the confirmed cost of changing it. Do not count the same stringing service twice. Ask before choosing a setup: the VICTOR DriveX F T specification illustrates why the precise weight version matters for stringing guidance.
Add the costs without filling in missing information
Use one currency and the same delivery destination. Add the racket price, the string and fitting you actually need, any grip you have chosen to add and all mandatory charges. Use the final quoted amount to check whether taxes or other fees are already included; do not add them twice.
“Stringing included” does not identify the string or setup. A blank delivery charge is not a confirmed zero. If a needed cost is unknown, mark the total as incomplete and ask for it. Price the same chosen extras in both offers. Note any included extras separately, without inventing a value to subtract from the price.
Read a fictional comparison
These figures are invented, all in the same monetary unit; they are not current prices. Assume the same racket version and the same agreed string setup, with every mandatory charge included:
- Offer A: racket 70 + string and fitting 18 + delivery 12 = total 100.
- Offer B: racket with that string and fitting included 95 + delivery 5 = total 100.
The lower racket price in A gives the same ready-to-play total here. If either setup or a charge is unconfirmed, this comparison is not complete.
Before deciding, ask about stock, the expected preparation time and the seller's return conditions, including whether fitting strings changes those conditions. An equal total does not establish equal service, durability or playing feel.