I love silicone, what about you?

[2ndServe]

what kind of silicone is best?

[Marcus2137]

Originally Posted by Circa 1762

Have you found that its effectiveness depends on where in the handle you put it? For example, does adding silicone higher in the handle have a greater dampening effect than putting the same amount closer to the butt, as some have suggested (ignoring the effects on balance)?

that will be my next experiment. So far, I've just been filling the end with different amounts. Next I'll try the same amount but in a different location and see what it effects. But even just having it in the end makes such a difference that I can't imagine it getting much better .

Most recently, I filled my Head PT280 with 12g of silicon. I played it for a few months and then took it out. But I've had lots of rackets with huge variation of silicon in the handle, and so far the difference is always very positive results.

My *GUESS* is that having it in the end of the butt cap will have the most effect. My reasoning for this is that the racket has a natural vibration/resonance. The best way to find this resonance is if you hold/pinch the racket with just 2 fingers a few inches below the top of the grip and hit the tip of the head with your other hand. You may have to adjust the place you're holding, but you'll find the point soon that lets the racket vibrate freely.

The more you move your two fingers to the bottom of the grip, the less the racket vibrates. When your fingers get to the bottom of the grip, the vibration basically stops. To me this hints that the end of the grip *SHOULD* be the most effective location to place silicon; i.e. silicon should be able to make the biggest difference. BUT, as in many situations, intuition and guesses often turn out to be wrong due to overlooked/ignore/misunderstood dynamics of the situation.

[Circa 1762]

Originally Posted by Marcus2137

that will be my next experiment. So far, I've just been filling the end with different amounts. Next I'll try the same amount but in a different location and see what it effects. But even just having it in the end makes such a difference that I can't imagine it getting much better .

Most recently, I filled my Head PT280 with 12g of silicon. I played it for a few months and then took it out. But I've had lots of rackets with huge variation of silicon in the handle, and so far the difference is always very positive results.

My *GUESS* is that having it in the end of the butt cap will have the most effect. My reasoning for this is that the racket has a natural vibration/resonance. The best way to find this resonance is if you hold/pinch the racket with just 2 fingers a few inches below the top of the grip and hit the tip of the head with your other hand. You may have to adjust the place you're holding, but you'll find the point soon that lets the racket vibrate freely.

The more you move your two fingers to the bottom of the grip, the less the racket vibrates. When your fingers get to the bottom of the grip, the vibration basically stops. To me this hints that the end of the grip *SHOULD* be the most effective location to place silicon; i.e. silicon should be able to make the biggest difference. BUT, as in many situations, intuition and guesses often turn out to be wrong due to overlooked/ignore/misunderstood dynamics of the situation.

Interesting! I haven't experimented with silicone before, but it's my next project. Good to hear that just a little bit can make a big difference. If you happen to remember this thread once you've finished experimenting with placement, I'd love to hear what you found.

[txt858]

Originally Posted by 2ndServe

what kind of silicone is best?

you can silicone up to 2 racquet with this small tube. it comes in CLEAR and WHITE.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...0#.UKp0uoYkHm4

[2ManyAces]

Any videos of this?

[Geology_Rocks!]

Hey guys, sorry for the stupid question but I've always wondered about this, how is the cotton supposed to stop the silicone from going down the handle? Wouldn't it simply push the cotton down?

[txt858]

this is what I do with the cotton. Take some "dental floss", pull about 25 inches then fold it in half. Now tie it to the cotton ball on one end. Now use like a popsicle stick or a wooden chopstick and mark how far you want the cotton ball to go down the handle tube. Let say you want it inject about 3 inches down the tube. Mark 3 inches on the chopstick. Now insert the cotton ball and use the chopstick to push the cotton ball down 3 inches. If you happen to go over....wa-lah...use the dental floss to pull it back a bit to adjust. Now use a sharpie and also mark the dental floss to the edge of the grip. This is so you can tell if there is any movement in the cotton ball when you inject the silicone. Now, inject the silicone. Check your weight and balance. If too much, you can pull on the dental floss to pull some silicone out. If not enough, use the chopstick to push it down even further. Adjust until you got your desire weight and balance. Then once done, you can snip the excess dental floss and put back your butt-cap cover. Hang your racquet Head up for a couple of days to a week to dry. Hope that helps.

[Yevgeny2010]

Wow, tennissavy, if you've had years of experience and never came across silicone or other material in the handle then I'd be surprised, just look inside some recent wilson rackets and see for yourself whats in there.

Please don't trash people trying to help you out because that goes against the spirit of these boards. If you ask nicely you may receive more help to work out your problem, but the way you are attacking others I'm surprised you're not banned yet.

BTW, you need to use some common sense and stuff enough cotton/pads in the handle to ensure the silicone doesn't get through it and into the throat - I use a chopstick to push it down until it's firm. A little bit of cotton is not going to cut it. Also, keep the racket upright when it's drying.

[I Heart Thomas Muster]

Just out of curiosity has anyone tried it without the cotton? I would imagine if you left the racquet alone for 3-5 days it would solidify enough that it wouldn't move anyway.

[Marcus2137]

Originally Posted by I Heart Thomas Muster

Just out of curiosity has anyone tried it without the cotton? I would imagine if you left the racquet alone for 3-5 days it would solidify enough that it wouldn't move anyway.

I've never used cotton or anything else to block silicon. The silicon I use is so thick that I have to use a stick to push it down into the hairpin. I think that even if I left the racket upside-down, it wouldn't move at all. But I still dry it handle-down just to be safe. After putting it in and taking it out, I've never had the silicon more and--at least with the silicon I've been using--I see no reason for cotton or anything else to block the tubes.

The main use for a block, that I can see, is to make a more accurate measurement about exactly how far down the tube you want the silicon to go. But I usually don't care how far down it goes, I just use weight to decide when to stop putting it in. But If I wanted the silicon to all be in the middle of the grip, for example, I can see how using a block farther down could be helpful. But if you just add silicon to the end of the tube, and measure based on weight, I don't see a need for cotton/blocking.

[PKfan1]

What effect does adding weight in the handle have on swingweight?

Say I added 0.5 oz in the bottom four inches of the handle, how much effect would their be on swingweight?

[golfer]

I got .9oz for a mold I use to make thumb sleeves for my bowling balls. It's 1"by 3" I'd say a racquet has to be close to this if you are filling the handle.

[PKfan1]

I was asking about swingweight, not actual weight

[mmk]

Originally Posted by PKfan1

What effect does adding weight in the handle have on swingweight?

Say I added 0.5 oz in the bottom four inches of the handle, how much effect would their be on swingweight?

You can always use this tool:

http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/lear...ionReverse.php

I just put in numbers for a standard 11.5 ounce racquet, 4 pts head light, and gave it a swingweight of 325. Then I entered 0.5 ounces at 2", and the swingweight changed to 325.3. So, not much change.

[TennisFan1337]

I have a few questions about this topic!

Do I get a unique feel with silicone that can't be matched with adding for example some expanding foam?

How much (length in cm) silicone do I need to add about 12 grams?

Thanks!

[I Heart Thomas Muster]

Originally Posted by Marcus2137

I've never used cotton or anything else to block silicon. The silicon I use is so thick that I have to use a stick to push it down into the hairpin. I think that even if I left the racket upside-down, it wouldn't move at all. But I still dry it handle-down just to be safe. After putting it in and taking it out, I've never had the silicon more and--at least with the silicon I've been using--I see no reason for cotton or anything else to block the tubes.

The main use for a block, that I can see, is to make a more accurate measurement about exactly how far down the tube you want the silicon to go. But I usually don't care how far down it goes, I just use weight to decide when to stop putting it in. But If I wanted the silicon to all be in the middle of the grip, for example, I can see how using a block farther down could be helpful. But if you just add silicon to the end of the tube, and measure based on weight, I don't see a need for cotton/blocking.

Thanks for the response. What silicone do you use?

[PKfan1]

Originally Posted by mmk

You can always use this tool:

http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/lear...ionReverse.php

I just put in numbers for a standard 11.5 ounce racquet, 4 pts head light, and gave it a swingweight of 325. Then I entered 0.5 ounces at 2", and the swingweight changed to 325.3. So, not much change.

Thanks! I thought I remembered seeing a calculator like that, but wasn't sure where.

[Marcus2137]

Originally Posted by I Heart Thomas Muster

Thanks for the response. What silicone do you use?

I was going to find the silicon and post a picture, but I can't find it right now. It's from walmart. I can't remember the brand but it's a tube of clear silicon from walmart.

[tennissavy]

Originally Posted by Yevgeny2010

Wow, tennissavy, if you've had years of experience and never came across silicone or other material in the handle then I'd be surprised, just look inside some recent wilson rackets and see for yourself whats in there.

Please don't trash people trying to help you out because that goes against the spirit of these boards. If you ask nicely you may receive more help to work out your problem, but the way you are attacking others I'm surprised you're not banned yet.

BTW, you need to use some common sense and stuff enough cotton/pads in the handle to ensure the silicone doesn't get through it and into the throat - I use a chopstick to push it down until it's firm. A little bit of cotton is not going to cut it. Also, keep the racket upright when it's drying.

I did not trash anyone or call them names so I don't know where you or others came up with this fiction? I think you need to read more carefully and not make up stories, kids.

[sundaypunch]

Originally Posted by tennissavy

I did not trash anyone or call them names so I don't know where you or others came up with this fiction? I think you need to read more carefully and not make up stories, kids.

Just so we have your story straight - you added silicone, thought that it didn't fully harden, and decided to throw the racquet away?