leather grip weight vs synthetic

[Jamtix]

Can somebody tell the weight of Yonex Basic Cushion Grip.

[crash1929]

i discovered that leather grips really change the weith distribuition of a stick when I wrapped a babolat pure control with leather instead of the stock rubber grip. HUGE difference in weight/feel

[charaseac]

I like the babolat more than the wilson's.

I think babolat one is thinner than wilson's. Can anyone confirm this or is it just me?

[Jamtix]

Yonex Basic Cushion Grip (from stock racquet) - 11,3g
Pacific A.T.P. Leather Grip (trimmed (very small piece) - 22g
TW Private Label Leather Grip 22mm x 1300mm x 1.5mm Tan (trimmed) - 26,1g (untrimmed > 30g)

It is no wonder that people who replace grip on Yonex recqet have problems with balance... My last chance - Babolat Leather. Is this realy so lite (15g untrimmed)?

[ronalditop]

will using a leather grip would reduce my racquet´s power? i use three OG with no grip and my balls go off court ( and is not of bad technique, cause I have a pretty good OneHanded backhand and my shots go long). i was using before a synthetic grip and a OG and gives me good control. should I use leather or should I raise the string tension?

[Anton]

Originally Posted by ronalditop

will using a leather grip would reduce my racquet´s power? i use three OG with no grip and my balls go off court ( and is not of bad technique, cause I have a pretty good OneHanded backhand and my shots go long). i was using before a synthetic grip and a OG and gives me good control. should I use leather or should I raise the string tension?

NO, adding weight to the racket increases power (on full stroke) - leather will add weight to the handle, so the power increase will not be big, thats it.

[ronalditop]

Originally Posted by Anton

NO, adding weight to the racket increases power (on full stroke) - leather will add weight to the handle, so the power increase will not be big, thats it.

I thought if I add weight to the handle then swingweight will increase, that means that i will be able to hit harder, meaning that racquet control would raise. is that how it works? im really confused.

[Anton]

Originally Posted by ronalditop

I thought if I add weight to the handle then swingweight will increase, that means that i will be able to hit harder, meaning that racquet control would raise. is that how it works? im really confused.

Being able to hit harder does not mean more control - your swing will tend to be more fluid with more weight which may help you be more consistent in the long run, but also you'll have to commit to the stroke more which may hurt consistency. It's a bit of a double edged sword.

btw adding weight to the handle increases the swingweight very minimally, adding it to the top of the loop increases it maximally.

[tennis_hand]

so, how much more weight is added after taking off the synthetic overgrip (Babolat syntec) and wrap a leather grip(Gamma leather)?

I have 2 more Wilson Pro OGs on top of the leather grip, because the grip size is a little smaller.

Total more weight added is about 20g?

[Anton]

Originally Posted by tennis_hand

so, how much more weight is added after taking off the synthetic overgrip (Babolat syntec) and wrap a leather grip(Gamma leather)?

I have 2 more Wilson Pro OGs on top of the leather grip, because the grip size is a little smaller.

Total more weight added is about 20g?

Probably a little less - around 15g

[king of swing]

Ok so a definite answer would be nice... what is the lightest consider

1. Leather grip?

2. Synthetic grip?

[stoble]

Okay I know the weight from this thread but I haven't been able to find out what the thickness of the Wilson leather is. Does anyone know?

Is it thicker than the Babolat Leather?

[mctennis]

Originally Posted by Larry Baldridge

Leather grips can enhance the "feel" of a racquet in a number of ways. --The feel of the bevels for sure, but also the feel of the ball coming off the strings. Some leather grips can also add weight to the handle, rendering a more head-light balance. Here are some specs on grip weights and other items that may help you determine some variables that affect weight and balance:
Fairway Leather - 25g
Wilson Leather - 22g
Head Leather - 23g
Pacific leather -18g
Volkl Leather -30.4g
All of the above are untrimmed, straight from the package
Gamma Hi-Tech Perforated Replacement Grip - 19g/.67 oz [trimmed to fit]
Babolat "0" vibration dampener - 3.8g/.135 oz
Wilson Pro Feel vibration dampener - 2.5g/.090 oz
#10 rubber band - .7g/.025 oz
16g string in 18 X 20 pattern - 15.9g/.56 oz
Yonex Super Grap overwrap - 5.7g/.20 oz
Wilson Butt cap w/ removable window - 10g/.355 oz
Volkl Soft Butt Cap - 9.4g/.330 oz
Elasto Cross II - 2.3g/.082 oz.[entire contents less applicator]

GREAT info. Very much appreciated.

[Anton]

Originally Posted by king of swing

Ok so a definite answer would be nice... what is the lightest consider

1. Leather grip?

2. Synthetic grip?

synthetic, but you can cut down on weight even more if you use just overgrips

[mctennis]

synthetic is always lighter ..IMHO.

[plum]

Well I just got my POG OS and being only a 3.5-4.0 player I realize this is a little weighty. However, I have been playing half of the summer with an old Prince Graphite XB Comp which is 12.5 or so-- so i have gotten used to it. I am trying to get some power back in my game though and I wanted to make the POG a little more head heavy-- head neutral I think ideally. So I put lead tape on at 3 9 12 etc... To experiment! But after just playing probably around 13+ OZ I think more weight is not good for my elbow and wrist and shoulder possibly. You might ask what is this post doing here but-- I am thinking getting rid of the leather grip, and replacing with a light synthetic, with possible over-grip, would achieve the same objective possibly-- without adding weight-- with a subtraction instead. Maybe someone here with good racquet math can help. How much grip weight to lose-- to turn a 4 pts head light POG OS racquet into head even. I'm guessing that the potential 10 gram or so loss by ditching the leather-- which I don't really care for the extra vibration of anyway-- might do it??? And this would leave me at maybe 11.5 to 11.8 OZ? Instead of 12.2?

[Nadal_R]

I`m using Wilson true grip. My question is: If I get leather grip (Wilson) ,will it increase raquet weight or change balance?

[Gugafan]

Originally Posted by Nadal_R

I`m using Wilson true grip. My question is: If I get leather grip (Wilson) ,will it increase raquet weight or change balance?

It will effect both of the paramaters you have mentioned. Adding some weight to the hoop will restore the balance.

[Bud]

Originally Posted by Jalapeno2006

I have asked the same question many times. I have heard that leather ways 11g more than a typical synthetic, i have heard it weighs 14 g more, and i have heard that it weighs 16 g more. Though i don't know the specifics on which synthetics and which leather grips these people were using, i imagine that the variation occurs in those factors. Switching to a leather grip, depending on your racquet, can change your balance by as much as 4 pts HL. i have been told. I am about to switch to leather on my LM radical and hope that it does something for feel and balance.

Yep, depends on the weight of the synthetic grip and weight of the leather grip. The total weight also depends on the handle length... and whether you overlap the grip or wrap it so there are ridges. All of that affects weight to some degree.

On my PK Kinetic 5G's the synthetic grips weigh approximately the same as the TW leather grips (1.3mm) I replaced them with. The leather is also a bit thinner... so the handle size decreased by about a half-size or so.

[Bud]

Originally Posted by Nadal_R

I`m using Wilson true grip. My question is: If I get leather grip (Wilson) ,will it increase raquet weight or change balance?

Originally Posted by Gugafan

It will effect both of the paramaters you have mentioned. Adding some weight to the hoop will restore the balance.

Perhaps, the only way to know is to weigh them both.

Before you pull your synthetic grip off... weigh and balance your racquet.

Then, pull off the synthetic grip and re-weigh the racquet.

Next, install the leather grip... re-weight the racquet and check the balance. Then, if you find the balance too far off, try adding a tiny bit of weight at 12'oclock until the balance matches stock.

Don't forget, you'll trim the leather grip when installing it... so it's not accurate to simply weight it right out of the package.

The difference in the racquet's weight (pre and post leather grip) will be the difference of the leather compared to the synthetic.

Report back with your findings!