I dont think lead tape is that great... here's why

[Deleted member 6835]

well guys, ive had a really bad experience with lead tape (mostly at 3 and 9 oclock, but anyways, here's a post i made in the strings forum, thought i'd make it a thread here to hear other people's opinions.

k, im deciding not to replace my SPPP/Gosen Hybrid, long interesting story.

k for those of you who might know, i had added a lot of lead to my rds 001. i just wanted to make it heavier and more solid. the problem was it increased the power way too much. i was so frustrated with my playing after i added it (only in matches and a tourney over the weekend). i really felt it when i was playing harder hitters. it made me think the strings were kind of dead, there was no apparent sweetspot, it just felt clunky. well it wasnt the strings, it was the lead.

i took off all the lead i had at 3 and 9, all that was left was my original 3 grams at 12 oclock which had played great even in matches, and 6 grams on the handle (which i couldnt take off obviously, cuz i was hitting with a friend). after that, my hitting was all back to the original way it was. i felt more like a 4.0 to 4.5 player compared to a 2 that i felt like... so it wasnt the strings, it was me and my stupid ideas of adding lead tape

on a side note, i dont think lead *expands* the sweetspot. what it does is it widens it (depending on where you add the tape), but it makes it less "sweeter feeling" than originally. here's what i mean:

imagine the sweetspot as being lots of particles together in a certain part of the racket (depending on the racket). what lead does is, instead of multiplying the number of particles and spreading them out, like most people think, it does something else. it takes the original particles and spreads them out, it doesnt add more of the "particles". so while it extends the sweetspot, it makes it feel more dead but on a greater area.

this is obviously just my opinion, you may not have the same results, but thats how i feel about it.

of course, maybe lead is ok in small amounts, like 1-3 grams. but other than mine at 12 oclock to add some heft, im no longer adding any lead. it just screws up the sweetspot for me.

opinions?

 

[no skillz]

Lead is a personal preference some people like some dont. I have lead on my rds 001 and so far I am enjoying it.

 

[ace of spades]

You added way to much lead without any objective in mind (supposedly making more stable) and made the swingweight skyrocket which made the manuverability plummet. When you add lead you add in small incriments like 1-2 grams at once, and test it out. Then if you feel you need more or less do that. You dont go and slap on all that lead and then play with it, not knowing how it will affect your game whether it is for better or for worse. Also you need to keep in mind the swingweight and how much will make the racket lose manuverability. With all that lead you had on your swingweight could have been in the mid 330's from the original 310.

Lead tape is fine and it is good for a lot of people if you put it on smart.

 

[diredesire]

You added way to much lead without any objective in mind (supposedly making more stable) and made the swingweight skyrocket which made the manuverability plummet. When you add lead you add in small incriments like 1-2 grams at once, and test it out. Then if you feel you need more or less do that. You dont go and slap on all that lead and then play with it, not knowing how it will affect your game whether it is for better or for worse. Also you need to keep in mind the swingweight and how much will make the racket lose manuverability. With all that lead you had on your swingweight could have been in the mid 330's from the original 310.

Lead tape is fine and it is good for a lot of people if you put it on smart.

Yep. putting lead on for the sake of putting it on is not going to do you any good. If you have a ballpark of specs or feel you want, you should gradually make your way towards it. If you buy a reel of lead tape, you can continually add until you find what you want, then make a nice, clean job after you've set a good point.

 

[tarheels2323]

Lead is a personal preference some people like some dont. I have lead on my rds 001 and so far I am enjoying it.

If I may ask, where did you put the lead? I just got one and although it hits nicely, I feel like it's a little light and with a little lead it would be an amazing racquet.

 

[Redflea]

No offense, but that's like saying you heard a lot of people saying they liked pizza, and you ate 25 pizzas in one day and now you hate pizza, and don't understand why everyone says pizza is good.

 

[no skillz]

If I may ask, where did you put the lead? I just got one and although it hits nicely, I feel like it's a little light and with a little lead it would be an amazing racquet.

I added 2.7 grams at 3 and 2.7 grams at 9. And ~3 grams in the handle (7inches from the butt). The racquet is now 12.7oz with the lead and 2 wilson white over grips.

 

[psp2]

1 question... (may be a trivial one)....

What/who the hell is "k"?

 

[jonolau]

No offense, but that's like saying you heard a lot of people saying they liked pizza, and you ate 25 pizzas in one day and now you hate pizza, and don't understand why everyone says pizza is good.

Dear Mr Flea,

I'd be more worried if tennis_nerd attempted to ingest the lead tape ... though 25 pizzas will require a ton of Pepto Bismo to cure. Which is the lesser of both evils?

I dare not hazard a guess ...

Bacon

 

[jonolau]

1 question... (may be a trivial one)....

What/who the hell is "k"?

k = okay

 

[35ft6]

Without lead tape my racket would be terrible. And now my pinky doesn't hurt. For a while my racket was twisting so much that my pinky was all jacked up.

You really have to experiment with the lead tape. I finally bought a whole roll of that stuff and tried all types of combinations. After a few months, I found a configuration that works for me.

But when I first got it, I put even less lead on my racket than I have on now and it felt like a brick. I just wasn't used to it. My strokes were still way too geared toward a lighter, easier racket. After my strokes adjusted to my new sticks, when I started using my body more again, the lead tape instead of making the rackets feel cumbersome, enhanced it in almost every respect.

It takes time and all sort of factors are in play. Experiment.

 

[no skillz]

Well my friend there are several definitions for "K":

With reference to money, "I make 30k a day" means "I make 30 thousand a day."

Now "k" could also be used to start and end sentences in near ebonic sentence structure. "K, homie my gat me blingin" translated means "Okay, my friend this gun is very shiny and clean." Or, "I fenna bust a cap in your arse, K?" which could be understood as "Would it offend you if I shoot you in your butt, okay?"

Hope that helps.

 

[tarheels2323]

I added 2.7 grams at 3 and 2.7 grams at 9. And ~3 grams in the handle (7inches from the butt). The racquet is now 12.7oz with the lead and 2 wilson white over grips.

What would you think about 4 grams at 3 and 9 (total of 8 grams)? Do you think it would help or should I definitely add in the handle too (to start out, I will of course be expirimenting with different setups)? I'm trying to add both weight and stability.

 

[psp2]

k = okay

TY (Thank you)...

So basically, some folks are just too damn lazy to type "OK" and use "K". I'll definitely fail Internet Language 101!

 

[armand]

When you increase weight, you should also increase string tension

 

[onkystomper]

Well my friend there are several definitions for "K":

With reference to money, "I make 30k a day" means "I make 30 thousand a day."

Now "k" could also be used to start and end sentences in near ebonic sentence structure. "K, homie my gat me blingin" translated means "Okay, my friend this gun is very shiny and clean." Or, "I fenna bust a cap in your arse, K?" which could be understood as "Would it offend you if I shoot you in your butt, okay?"

Hope that helps.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA that made me chuckle

 

[Duzza]

I had a terrible experience with lead tape, but i know what i did wrong now. I made my 310 racquet into 340 by adding all of it to the handle. Very stupid, i still own the racquet but can't be bothered trying again.

 

[TennisProPaul]

well guys, ive had a really bad experience with lead tape (mostly at 3 and 9 oclock, but anyways, here's a post i made in the strings forum, thought i'd make it a thread here to hear other people's opinions.



of course, maybe lead is ok in small amounts, like 1-3 grams. but other than mine at 12 oclock to add some heft, im no longer adding any lead. it just screws up the sweetspot for me.

opinions?

The funny thing is you still had lead at 12 and the handle and loved it, so I guess what your saying is lead is good in moderation.

 

[TennisProPaul]

I added 2.7 grams at 3 and 2.7 grams at 9. And ~3 grams in the handle (7inches from the butt). The racquet is now 12.7oz with the lead and 2 wilson white over grips.

There is your problem. You had the wrong ratio of lead at 3 & 9 compared to the handle.


IMO , Try at least 2 times more lead at the top 7 inches from the butt handle then at 3 & 9 combined.

So:

1 gram at 3
1 gram at 9

and 4 grams at the handle or more

 

[no skillz]

thanks I will try that combination today. I have to pick up a new lead pack so I can do a clean job.

 

[ATXtennisaddict]

I put some lead tape on my POG mid and what a dif it makes for me. Those fast/heavy balls some of my friends hit, I can return with ease because the racket feels so solid, doesn't twist in my hand etc. I am hitting effortlessly and serving with more power effortlessly. I hope to add even more weight later.

 

[TennisProPaul]

I put some lead tape on my POG mid and what a dif it makes for me. Those fast/heavy balls some of my friends hit, I can return with ease because the racket feels so solid, doesn't twist in my hand etc. I am hitting effortlessly and serving with more power effortlessly. I hope to add even more weight later.

why dont you share with us where and how much you put the tape

 

[ATXtennisaddict]

why dont you share with us where and how much you put the tape

About two 1.5-inch (each side) at 3/9. And the same amount under buttcap (u can remove the buttcaps on prices easily).

So that's 12 inches of lead, is that 6 g more weight on the racket? About 0.212 oz extra. I want to lead it up even more though...gotta experiment some more.

 

[Deleted member 6835]

guys, i know i added a lot of lead, and it might have been ok if i tightened the strings. dont worry, i know that adding lead at 3 and 9 = more power... all i wanted was something stable, heavier, more SW, which i did get, but i just didnt like the effect on the sweetspot. it just made it feel more dead as a whole as opposed to the setup i have now, which is only 3 grams at 12 and 6 in the handle. i guess, as some of you mentioned, lead tape is good in moderation.

but i do know that the sweetspot feels a lot sweeter now with less lead. so keep it to moderate amounts.

lesson learnt..

(im curious to hear what travlerajm has to say to using minimal amounts of lead... )

 

[Redflea]

A happy ending is a good thing.

 

[Deleted member 6835]

A happy ending is a good thing.

haha ya, and something to be thankful for

 

[ace of spades]

But to me, lead certainly does not make the sweetspot feel deader...