View Full Version : Pros hitting higher in the stringbed
Why do pros hit higher on the stringbed? Is there any significance to this performance wise?
I tend to hit in the center or a little lower on the string bed...
POGforEver
07-09-2007, 03:44 PM
I hit in the upper string bed and am definitely not a pro, it just depends where your sweetspot and or preference is.
ChocolatePie
07-09-2007, 03:45 PM
A lot of pros use lead tape on their rackets and their sweetspot is pulled upwards. Although if you have ever tried to hit a little higher for a serve, it is quite rewarding.
FatCat
07-09-2007, 04:39 PM
I could be wrong, but I'm fairly certain they started designing rackets so that the sweetspot is slightly higher than the center of the string bed, since that way you get more swing speed on contact (since the distance from your body to the contact point is longer).
ahh.. maybe i should try adjusting to hit a bit higher...
FatCat
07-09-2007, 05:13 PM
Yeah, I'm a fairly new player (only 3 or 4 months), but I noticed a HUGE difference when I started gaining the consistency to catch the ball in my racket's sweet spot (this was after I got over the stage of having such bad consistency that I broke a shock dampener >.>). I guess where the sweet spot is depends on what kind of racket you have and when it was made, but it's not that hard to find I'd assume. Just try hitting with different parts of the stringbed and (at least I tend to notice) you can tell where you're sweetspotting it by the feel and the sound. It will always be in the center horizontally, but how big it is and where it is vertically changes from racket to racket.
iambt21
07-09-2007, 06:23 PM
A lot of pros use lead tape on their rackets and their sweetspot is pulled upwards. Although if you have ever tried to hit a little higher for a serve, it is quite rewarding.
it is true tha tpros use lead tape. however there sweet spot is NOT pulled upwards unless there is leadtape at the top of hte racket. However almost all pros have headlight rackets which means the sweet spot is loewr than your sweet spot. So you are giving incorrect information.
zapvor
07-09-2007, 08:09 PM
hmm....at least i am not breaking dampners.phew :P
FatCat
07-09-2007, 08:42 PM
They're not particularly durable, especially the one that came with my racket >.>
it is true tha tpros use lead tape. however there sweet spot is NOT pulled upwards unless there is leadtape at the top of hte racket. However almost all pros have headlight rackets which means the sweet spot is loewr than your sweet spot. So you are giving incorrect information.
I'm fairly certain that most pros have head heavy racquets.
herosol
07-10-2007, 02:35 PM
I'm fairly certain that most pros have head heavy racquets.
please please please please tell me your being sarcastic.
please.
iambt21
07-12-2007, 10:39 PM
I'm fairly certain that most pros have head heavy racquets.
im fairly certain that you are 100% wrong.
iambt21
07-12-2007, 10:42 PM
I could be wrong, but I'm fairly certain they started designing rackets so that the sweetspot is slightly higher than the center of the string bed, since that way you get more swing speed on contact (since the distance from your body to the contact point is longer).
Is this a joke... 1/2MV^2 explains this..
velocity increases as you moe the weight towards the handle and away from the head... and it is sqaured so it is the best way to increase swing speed....
Also as you add weight to the head you will swing the racke twith less speed.
i can go on forever... juts trust me.
TENNIS_99
07-12-2007, 10:59 PM
the longer the arc the more power you can get - but it's limited to the sweet spot. plus it's more efficient for forearm pronation in modern swing.
snoflewis
07-12-2007, 11:00 PM
it can just be a matter of preference...personally, i tend to hit about 3 inches above the sweetspot...it just feels natural that way.
FatCat
07-12-2007, 11:29 PM
V increases as you get farther from the handle. Ergo the higher up in the racket that the sweet spot is, that faster that part of the racket is moving. Think about it, the length of the arc gets bigger.
Punisha
07-13-2007, 07:36 AM
Is this a joke... 1/2MV^2 explains this..
velocity increases as you moe the weight towards the handle and away from the head... and it is sqaured so it is the best way to increase swing speed....
Also as you add weight to the head you will swing the racke twith less speed.
i can go on forever... juts trust me.
i think he meant that most pro racquets are actually head heavier than the stock model, but not head heavy as such.
Also jst beacuse swing speed is maximised doesnt mean it will hit the best ball. If there is no mass going into the ball it not gonna do ****. With lots of lead in head the ball is "punished" more by the frame as it has more weight going into the ball at the moment of contact. This being said if its so head heavy u cant swing it fast there is no point. That is why players differently customised as they all play different styles and have different strengths etc... they find the best possible weight for them where the swingspeed vs "rebound characteristics" (couldnt think of what its called but as i said its the weight iin the head that does this" ratio is the best for them
Sorry for spelling
FatCat
07-13-2007, 11:07 AM
"lol" at people misusing physics equations as irrefutable proof that they must be absolutely correct.
It's a balance. The farther up the racket you make contact with the ball, the faster the racket speed at the point of contact is. Now, pulling the sweet spot up by changing the balance of the racket obviously changes the racket speed, but if engineered correctly there is an overall gain in energy transfered to the ball vs having the sweet spot at the very center.
So e=mc^2 to you.
iambt21
07-13-2007, 05:04 PM
"lol" at people misusing physics equations as irrefutable proof that they must be absolutely correct.
It's a balance. The farther up the racket you make contact with the ball, the faster the racket speed at the point of contact is. Now, pulling the sweet spot up by changing the balance of the racket obviously changes the racket speed, but if engineered correctly there is an overall gain in energy transfered to the ball vs having the sweet spot at the very center.
So e=mc^2 to you.
I dont know if you are arguing with me. but check the statisics. i dont want to argue, i gain nothing from this and i know what is right... mots pros are atleast 6 points headlight. There rackets are typically around 12.5 oz
iambt21
07-13-2007, 05:07 PM
I dont know if you are arguing with me. but check the statisics. i dont want to argue, i gain nothing from this and i know what is right... mots pros are atleast 6 points headlight. There rackets are typically around 12.5 oz
trust me im right. ive read about this alot. also my dad is an engineer and he agrees with me. im not trying to argue.. just informing.
bad_call
07-13-2007, 05:12 PM
once u starting hitting at the top of the stringbed, it's hard to go back...
FatCat
07-13-2007, 05:29 PM
trust me im right. ive read about this alot. also my dad is an engineer and he agrees with me. im not trying to argue.. just informing.
Just let me clarify...you're saying that the LOWER the sweet spot it (that is, the closer to your hand), the better?
FatCat
07-13-2007, 05:33 PM
Just let me clarify...you're saying that the LOWER the sweet spot it (that is, the closer to your hand), the better?
I just want to make sure we're not arguing over nothing.
iambt21
07-14-2007, 09:42 AM
I just want to make sure we're not arguing over nothing.
no, not saying that at all. its not better there. however the benefits of a racket that swings and accelerates quickly(headlight) outweighs the benefits of a higher sweetspot and headheavy racket.
nagan
07-14-2007, 10:24 AM
Hard to do though, since timing and time comes into the equation.
Sargisian's coach, Harut, once told me "use the whole string" and pull the ball from higher on the string bed down. I take it as that, as the ball is being hit, it is bended, squeezed into the racquet in that nano-second. However, the racquet is still moving up in the next few nano-seconds. Therefore, now the ball is really on the sweet spot in the middle, and getting a tremendous roll already...
dacrymn
07-14-2007, 02:32 PM
um.... wow. It's about the behavior of the strings is what bases the sweetspot, and the balance is what adjusts it. If you have more weight, it pulls it up, obviously. Now, if you hit higher without changing the sweetspot, true, you have a higher velocity due to the arc, but it's about the energy transfer. If you do that, the transfer of kinetic energy from the racquet to the ball isn't nearly as efficient. The center, therefore, would be the best place to strike the ball. If you have more weight, there is more behind the ball, even though it is not the "best" place to hit, per se.
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