I'm addicted to lead!

[wings56]

I am addicted to lead tape. It's like a drug. It all started when I got my Ncode 6.1 95's about a year ago. They were heavier than the Pure Control MP's I was using. I liked the heavier feel so I put some weights at 12 o'clock. Recently I have added more weight at 3 and 9 o 'clock. I weighed my racquets at 13 oz. Is this bad or good or does it not really matter?

[Marius_Hancu]

check your match results. that's the bottom line.

[wings56]

then I guess its ok

[Bungalo Bill]

I am addicted to lead tape. It's like a drug. It all started when I got my Ncode 6.1 95's about a year ago. They were heavier than the Pure Control MP's I was using. I liked the heavier feel so I put some weights at 12 o'clock. Recently I have added more weight at 3 and 9 o 'clock. I weighed my racquets at 13 oz. Is this bad or good or does it not really matter?

Hi, my name is BB, and I am a leadoholic. So far, I have used lead ever since the racquets got lighter from the old wood racquets.

I am a user of the stuff and I love it. Everytime I buy a new racquet, I also feel compelled to buy ten packs of lead. Not the cheap little weights, but the sticky stuff. The stuff that you have to cut.

I have even gone as far as placing full width tape over my grommets. So it is dead center on the frame.

At first, I limited my use to the 9 and 3 positions. But then I got bold and my habit got bigger. I then placed some more on the 2 and 10 positions. I loved it. I was getting high. I loved the way I could pound the ball or block the ball with an effortless punch. The ball felt like butter and offcenter shots were no problem.

Now, I am a full blown user. My tape runs from 12 to 3 straight through. When I was playing a lot I had two layers of the stuff on. Now I am thankfully down to one layer.

Once leaded, always leaded.

[ShooterMcMarco]

only problem BB, lead is a detriment when you start your preparation after the ball bounces.

[jaskey]

what's the max weight allowed on a racquet? or is there no rules like that?
what i mean by max weight is like the overall weight.

i'm also addicted to lead tape and i have a lot of it on, and i mean a lot~. i went to the gym and tried lifting a 5 pound dumb-bell (?) and it almost felt like my racquet. ^^ i'm guessing that's too much weight for it to be legal, i have to try weighing my racquet soon... ummm... where can i get my racquet weighed???

[erik-the-red]

I weighed my racquet to be over twelve ounces.

Over the summer I picked up a sub-ten ounce Wilson Hammer and my elbow started twinging. No joke. The mind does that to you.

[nViATi]

what's the max weight allowed on a racquet? or is there no rules like that?
what i mean by max weight is like the overall weight.
You could swing a 100lb racquet ;) . I'm pretty sure there is no limit.

[jaskey]

^^ would 100lb still be called a racquet? i would call it a tennis club, that is if i can weild it. if i can't it'll be tennis anchor.

[Bungalo Bill]

only problem BB, lead is a detriment when you start your preparation after the ball bounces.

Yeah, but I over come that by stalking the ball. Stalking the ball, what a ridiculous saying, hell, I have trouble just keeping up with the damn ball.

[GrahamIsSuper]

Is it just me, or has this been an ongoing trend for people? Back in the day, it was seen as "manly" to use one of the heavy wood racquets. Anything lower than one of these, and you weren't a "good player". Now people are adding so much lead tape to their racquet in hopes (granted, some arent) of showing off to friends.

"hey, i've got a 17 oz racquet, so that means im both stronger and a better tennis player than you!"

[tnig469]

dont eat the lead.....it causes cancer

[jaskey]

Is it just me, or has this been an ongoing trend for people? Back in the day, it was seen as "manly" to use one of the heavy wood racquets. Anything lower than one of these, and you weren't a "good player". Now people are adding so much lead tape to their racquet in hopes (granted, some arent) of showing off to friends.

"hey, i've got a 17 oz racquet, so that means im both stronger and a better tennis player than you!"

hmm... i do show off my heavy racquet, but only because it's fun to watch their reaction. i don't think heavier racquet makes a person a better player, and i'd know because i get my butt handed to me by a person using a wilson hyper hammer, which is in no way heavy nor a player's racquet.

but i guess i would seem like i was showing off... i guess it is showing off... i'll try to stop doing that. ^^

[jaskey]

dont eat the lead.....it causes cancer

yeah, but so is everything else you can get addicted on, smoking, drinking, chocolat, and etc. (jk about chocolat... i think...)

[FedererUberAlles]

Actually, Pb (lead) causes lead poisoning, I believe.

[jaskey]

Actually, Pb (lead) causes lead poisoning, I believe.

Oh, you're right! ^^;; it's lead poisoning not cancer.
my train of thought was lead, kills, must be cancer. lol

[nViATi]

dont eat the lead.....
Wow, that was a revelation wasn't it? ;)

[Andres]

I like training with a one-pound wooden racquet. I started with tennis with this racquet (i'm not that old, only 21), because my father already have it and we couldn't afford to buy a new one.

When I could finally get my own "modern" racquet, the PS 6.1 felt so extremely light to me, so I had to add some weight to it.

The only thing about the wooden Head Vilas is the head size. I think when my PS gets to the one-pound limit, i'll be able to crank serves at 500 mph :P

That's my own personal experience. Some guys may feel a 1 pound racquet extremely heavy, but I'm used to it and it feel comfortable.

[Andres]

This is the glorious Head Vilas ;)

http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/8822/casa63rc.th.jpg (http://img395.imageshack.us/my.php?image=casa63rc.jpg)

[tnig469]

on the back of my lead tape it says causes cancer....i got the babolat lead tape

[ondray]

Remember to your wash your hands after handling lead tapes.

[wings56]

on the back of my lead tape it says causes cancer....i got the babolat lead tape
*has been know to cause cancer in the state of California* - on the back of Gamma lead tape

[jaskey]

*has been know to cause cancer in the state of California* - on the back of Gamma lead tape

oh, since i don't live in California i guess i'll be fine. ^^ jk
so it causes cancer in California and it causes lead poisoning everwhere else in the world, hmm... cancer or poisoning? rock and the hard place question. ^^

[coach]

i have to try weighing my racquet soon... ummm... where can i get my racquet weighed???
I have weighed mine at the post office, on those self serve digital scales, they are likely very accurate and will weigh to the nearest tenth of an ounce.

The problem I have using lead tape is that I want to be careful that I don't change the balance of the racquet too much. Head heavy racquets I have noticed are a bear to volley with and for tennis elbow (which I have flare up from time to time), they should be head light.

[papa]

I have weighed mine at the post office, on those self serve digital scales, they are likely very accurate and will weigh to the nearest tenth of an ounce.

The problem I have using lead tape is that I want to be careful that I don't change the balance of the racquet too much. Head heavy racquets I have noticed are a bear to volley with and for tennis elbow (which I have flare up from time to time), they should be head light.

Thats why one knows if the racquet is head light/even/heavy "before" you start adding the lead. If you don't know, measure the racquet and then divide it by two and find the middle point of the racquet - put a little mark there with tape or pencil - whatever, and lets call that line "A". After you have that line (line A), get a fairly thin straight edge like the "back" of a straight carving knife - balance the racquet on the straight edge see-saw style. Again put a little mark where that is and lets call that line "B".

Now, measure the distance from from line "A" to point "B". Each 1/8 of an inch difference is a considered a point. So if line "B" is 3/8" from line "A" its three points - if its toward the butt it would be considered 3 points head light whereas, if its (line "B") is on the string side of line "A" it would be 3 points head heavy. If the distance between the lines is 5/8" it would be 5 points and so forth. If line "A" and line "B" are basically at the same place, the racquet would be considered evenly balanced.

Now, when you add lead, the further you place it from line "A" the more it will effect the balance point. If you add tape around the throat of the racquet it will have little difference on changing the racquet whereas adding the same amount of lead at the top or butt will change it (balance point) more - in other words the further you add the tape/lead from line "A" the more it will effect the balance.

I would suggest you add tape gradually and layer it if necessary.