Alternatives to Lead Tape
- Thread starter Pioneer
- Start date
OHBH
Semi-Pro
Tungsten powder in the handle. Any dense metal that is less poisonous than lead really.
Nuke
Hall of Fame
If you want to weight the hoop, lead tape really is the best. If you want to weight inside the handle, silicone caulk, or any sort of weights that you can secure from rattling around are OK. If you want to add weight above the handle, secure pennies with several layers of electrical tape (one penny = 2.5 grams).
FabulousDD
New User
I do this too! I have two surgrips on my racquet, + the original grip of the racquet...
javierjavier
Rookie
scotch tape isn't going to hold up. you can use duct tape instead if you want to go with the penny method.
i'd also recommend using head guard tape. any reason you're avoiding lead?
i'd also recommend using head guard tape. any reason you're avoiding lead?
I'd take the pennies, wrap some cotton around them, then used head tape or hockey tape to secure them. It'll look silly, but putting them directly on the frame will lead to rattling.
I currently have a 1/4 ounce zinc fishing weight secured to the cross bar of my NXG OS as an experiment. The bar just happens to be at almost the exact point of balance, so it's really adding weight without affecting the balance and only pushes the SW up a few points. Moves the racquet up over 12 ounces from 11.9 stock, closer to the original graphite OS.
I detected a little rattling on miss hits near the end of my match, so maybe a little more cotton is needed. Or maybe I should stop miss hitting.
I also had some lead tape in the head, but I removed that during the match as too many shots were going long. After that, it was like butter. NXG OS is a great racquet, but just a little more solid with this weighting, especially on volleys and serve returns.
I currently have a 1/4 ounce zinc fishing weight secured to the cross bar of my NXG OS as an experiment. The bar just happens to be at almost the exact point of balance, so it's really adding weight without affecting the balance and only pushes the SW up a few points. Moves the racquet up over 12 ounces from 11.9 stock, closer to the original graphite OS.
I detected a little rattling on miss hits near the end of my match, so maybe a little more cotton is needed. Or maybe I should stop miss hitting.
I also had some lead tape in the head, but I removed that during the match as too many shots were going long. After that, it was like butter. NXG OS is a great racquet, but just a little more solid with this weighting, especially on volleys and serve returns.
goran_ace
Hall of Fame
Anything will work if you use enough of it. I would not recommend using electrical tape or racket head protection tape because you will need a lot of it to make a difference you can feel. That said, the difference in weight/balance from an overgrip is negligible - you shouldn't have to worry about counterbalancing in the first place.
charliefedererer
Legend
Isn't it great that lead tape is so easy to add, place precisely, remove, layer and is so cheap?
jorel
Hall of Fame
and also banned in children's toys??
I have used golf club weights from D*ck's before with great success. They come with a plastic top layer that might as well go ahead and remove when you apply them. I have yet to have one fall off. They are a little wide, so I take some time to make sure and mold them to the frame.
and also banned in children's toys??
I don't let my 3 year old touch my racquets that have even the zinc weights because they contain trace amounts of lead. I let him run around with my wilson Hammer 7.0 titanium...he can deal with tennis elbow at an early age, makes you tough!!
I use head guard tape. I cover the top half of the hoop with tape. Then I tape pennies or small metal washers over the base layer to get the exact location I want. This way I can move the weight around without having to handle the lead. I counter balance with silicone in the handle or lead tape under the top of the grip or both. If you have expecting or nursing women or crawling children in your house, you should completely avoid handling lead imho.
I secured 2 coins a few layers of electrical tape at 12 o'clock:
http://yfrog.com/5jcoin1j
http://yfrog.com/j3coin2kj
Is this going to have a similar effect to adding a few grams of lead tape at 12 o'clock?
http://yfrog.com/5jcoin1j
http://yfrog.com/j3coin2kj
Is this going to have a similar effect to adding a few grams of lead tape at 12 o'clock?
Depends on what coins you used. Pennies are about 2.5g-3g.
The real downside, is you'll have to redo this every time you get your racket restrung.
jorel
Hall of Fame
explains alot
jorel
Hall of Fame
nickels are 5 grams exactly
jorel
Hall of Fame
wat country?The coins in my country are different btw
max
Legend
Oh my! This is a rather drastic approach. Read up on metallurgy; touching lead's not going to kill you.
Absolutely. Just make sure it doesn't come flying off in the middle of a point.
Well I am going to play some tennis tomorrow and I will let you know if I experienced better follow-through and stability
Max, touching lead isn't going to kill you but if it works its way into your system you will get lead poisoning which will have some negative effects on your health and requires medication to be removed. If, for example, you are touching lead and by chance some sticks to your hands and you later eat with these hands... it's not going to be pleasant
Max, touching lead isn't going to kill you but if it works its way into your system you will get lead poisoning which will have some negative effects on your health and requires medication to be removed. If, for example, you are touching lead and by chance some sticks to your hands and you later eat with these hands... it's not going to be pleasant
If you are adding weight at 12 oclock, duct tape works really well for me. Just a few inches of 1 inch tape [comes in all colors and I use black] can change the feel noticeably. Adding more layers will easily get you to any reasonable weight addition.
For 3 and 9, duct tape also works if the required mod is not too severe.
I also use coins at the 7 inch point of the handle and with tape over it you hardly notice it there. I have added as many as 6 coins.
I also have used lead weights that you find at a tire balancing shop. Very heavy increments are available; 5, 10, 15, 25 grams.
For 3 and 9, duct tape also works if the required mod is not too severe.
I also use coins at the 7 inch point of the handle and with tape over it you hardly notice it there. I have added as many as 6 coins.
I also have used lead weights that you find at a tire balancing shop. Very heavy increments are available; 5, 10, 15, 25 grams.
Ucantplay2much
Rookie
I use large rubber vibration dampers. This Prince damper weighs 6 grams and sits up nicely against the frame, even at the top of the hoop. I've never had a problem with it hitting the ball, anything that high is getting framed anyway.
Funbun
Professional
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/lead/health_lead.html
I read up on this, but I was confused on what they mean by "inorganic" lead. Does that mean that lead can be infused in a carbon compound?
Anyhow, it seems like only chronic exposure is detriminal to your health. It also seems that frequent hand-washing and maintaining good levels of calcium and iron will help against the symptoms of lead poisoning.
I wonder if professional racquet customizers do the same.
I read up on this, but I was confused on what they mean by "inorganic" lead. Does that mean that lead can be infused in a carbon compound?
Anyhow, it seems like only chronic exposure is detriminal to your health. It also seems that frequent hand-washing and maintaining good levels of calcium and iron will help against the symptoms of lead poisoning.
I wonder if professional racquet customizers do the same.
Kenny022593
Professional
You guys know that pennies are not an exact weight and can weigh from like 1.9-3.3 grams?
Funbun
Professional
Some pennies have slightly more value than others?
diggitydawg
New User
I had been looking for a way to recycle broken strings and add weight to my sticks without lead. So, I took an old string set that I broke but didn't throw away , and I cut it ,bunched it up, and stuck it in the handle of my Pure Drive. I used almost the whole set(approximatley 0.5 oz). I was pretty cautious to not allow the string to get into the throat. Not to sure but I think I like it.
ervinxhufka
New User
Thick plastic tape is the best for the head. For the handle, try replacing the grip with volkl leather grip. It adds almost 13-15 grams, not mesy and feels great. Its the heaviest grip.
Consigliere73
Rookie
LOL. That looks ridiculous!
gpt
Professional
I use large rubber vibration dampers. This Prince damper weighs 6 grams and sits up nicely against the frame, even at the top of the hoop. I've never had a problem with it hitting the ball, anything that high is getting framed anyway.
If i understand your post, what you are doing is against the rules of tennis.
Dampener must be below bottom cross string.
Regards
Autodidactic player
Professional
This is correct. It is even permissible for the dampener to touch the first or last cross or the left or right-most main as long as it is not inside the weave. The gray area is where the dampener has a groove in it that allows a tiny portion to wrap around the string. I've heard some very technical (anal really) people say that this violates the rule. I suppose that in the most technical sense it does violate the rule but since no advantage can be gained from this I wouldn't consider it a violation if I were a tournament referee.
Here's exactly what the rules say:
"Case 3: Can vibration damping devices be placed on the strings of a racket? If so, where can they be placed?
Decision: Yes, but these devices may only be placed outside the pattern of the crossed strings."
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