The Official Lead Tape Placement+Racket Customization Thread

[TennisCJC]

Originally Posted by mixedmedia

TennisCJC, is that really the Djoko setup? (And yes, I know my racquet isn't the actual one ND uses.) Am I overdoing it by following the instructions in the link?

I don't have exact specs for Djoko setup but someone on these boards has a thread about a Djoko racket they acquired with exact specs.

Here's the thread: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showt...light=Djokovic

But, he does put long lead strips down the sides of the head and more lead under the bumper around 1:30 and 10:30. I don't think he puts any right at noon. Search for the Djoko racket thread and I think they have more exact specs.

I have seen pictures of Djoko racket on these boards and on TV where you can see the long strips of lead down the sides. It is likely a monster SW.

[NickJ]

Where do I need to add lead tape to on my wife to make her less aggressive?

[mixedmedia]

Thanks for the replies!

And yup, I knew I had seen a thread with the specs before, and I found it again. Bookmarked it this time! But I don't think I'll pursue matching his racquet and specs atm--maybe just for fun later. I think I'll use the link I posted earlier. As it turns out, with my strings, dampener, lead at 3/9, leather grip, and Super Grap overgrip, the racquet is right near 360 g w/o adding lead under the grip.

EDIT: Just checked TennisCJC's link and that's the specs link I'm referring to as well.

[saoarvoredo]

Question 1.

How is the reference groundstroke for SW2 performed, the maximum power that you can control inside the baseline with the maximum amount of spin you can generate?

And if so,

question 2.

If, as an intermediate/rec player, the gap between your maximum power potential and your ability to perform the right tecnique and generate enough spin consistently on your groundstrokes is disproportionately, should you avoid this aspect of customizing racquets completely?

[JohnB]

SW2 isn't about maximizing power. If you take a stock racket and you increase SW, with most stock rackets you'll notice an increase in power. If you keep increasing SW you'll hit longer and longer. Just before you start hitting too long you're at SW1. If you keep increasing SW and thus hit longer and longer eventually you're reach your max. power for your groundstrokes. If you then still keep increasing SW your shots will be going less and less deep (still out). At some point, when the SW is high enough, there comes moment when they land in again. That's SW2.

I think it's important if you want to try this, you shoud do this with a technically sound/controlled stroke. Because you can hit the fence at SW1, but also at SW2.

My personal advice would be to play with a swingweight that you can comfortably control. A swingweight not to high and not too low. Than adjust the powerlevel with stringtype/set-up in combination with the powerlevel of your racket.

[dman72]

Originally Posted by saoarvoredo

Question 1.

How is the reference groundstroke for SW2 performed, the maximum power that you can control inside the baseline with the maximum amount of spin you can generate?

And if so,

question 2.

If, as an intermediate/rec player, the gap between your maximum power potential and your ability to perform the right tecnique and generate enough spin consistently on your groundstrokes is disproportionately, should you avoid this aspect of customizing racquets completely?

IMO, yes you should avoid it. It seems great at first but unless you hit everyday for hours and are very physically fit, your perfomance will diminish drastically as you fatigue. Take it from someone who tried it.

As I believe I stated before in this thread, the main benefit of 360+ swingweights is the ability to get back 120MPH+ serves and the ability to defeat huge pace and spin. Against most rec players, you rarely if ever face those things, so now you have put yourself at a disadvantage in your reaction time and defense.

In addition to wearing yourself down more quickly, you are customizing your racquet to combat things you will rarely if ever see.

I like "high" swingweights (330-345) personally, but once I start getting into "pro" swingweights my game falls off drastically.

[Shred]

I have two Head IG Radical Pros. One weighs 11.5 oz strung and has a swingweight of 321 measured on a Babolat RDC machine. The other weighs 12 oz strung with a SW of 336! Two different racquets really. Shitty QC from Head. Anyway, I got the app Swing Tool for my IPad for .99 cents to see how close it would measure the swingweight compared to the $4000 Babolat machine.

I measured the weights, hang point, balance point and swingpoint and got swingweights within 2 points of the Babolat machine. Two points is pretty close, way better than going blind if you don't have access to a Babolat RDC machine. You must make as accurate measurements as you can using the Swing Tool.

[TennisManiac]

Originally Posted by JohnB

Have you tried those various set-ups? I have also tried those set-ups (on a different racket) but it would be interesting to know if there are similar findings.

2 grams each at 3 and 9 and 2 grams in the butt felt very stable at the net and gave me a little more pop on my serve. But feels very clumsy and less manuverable. And my groundstrokes were hard to keep in.

The same set up at 10 and 2 felt a little better.

4 grams at 12 and 2 in the butt plays perfect for me. The racket still feels manuverable. I get a ton of spin on all my strokes. All my groudstrokes are staying in now. There's plenty of plow to get through heavy balls on my backhand. And serving is amazing. This will be my new setup.

[LeithaL]

best way to customize an aeropro drive gt?

[Bowtiesarecool]

I decided to plug Travlerajm's math into my PS85. Here's what I came up with: With a 4 3/8 stock leather grip, 349g, 6.5 points hl, 332 sw... MgR/I = 21.1, and based on the calculation for final weight and balance point from this post: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...64&postcount=1 the balance point is exactly where it's supposed to be for a depolarized setup.

I wonder, if Travlerajm's observations are accurate, could this be why Wilson had such success with the PS85. Thoughts?

[melele]

Hey people. I've noticed that lead tape at 3 and 9 reduces the life of strings. When I was playing without lead tape, I broke the strings every 10 - 12 hours. Later I put 8 grams lead tape at 3 and 9, and now I'm breaking strings every 5 hours.

Has anybody noticed it? Am I the only one that thinks it?

Ty mates!

[Ramon]

Originally Posted by melele

Hey people. I've noticed that lead tape at 3 and 9 reduces the life of strings. When I was playing without lead tape, I broke the strings every 10 - 12 hours. Later I put 8 grams lead tape at 3 and 9, and now I'm breaking strings every 5 hours.

Has anybody noticed it? Am I the only one that thinks it?

Ty mates!

That's the first time I heard that. Maybe you're the only one that thinks it.

I recently took lead tape off of my racquet. Just last week I broke one of my favorite multis twice in one week. One of them lasted 4 hours and the other lasted less than 1 hour. These same strings always lasted me 10+ hours before. I don't think it has anything to do with the lead weights being taken off.

[melele]

Originally Posted by Ramon

That's the first time I heard that. Maybe you're the only one that thinks it.

I recently took lead tape off of my racquet. Just last week I broke one of my favorite multis twice in one week. One of them lasted 4 hours and the other lasted less than 1 hour. These same strings always lasted me 10+ hours before. I don't think it has anything to do with the lead weights being taken off.

Are they lasted 10+ hours before to put the lead tape?

I'm sure that it affects the string durability but I don't know why. If you see my strings when I have played 4 hours, you can see that they are deformed near the lead tape's zone. Maybe it sounds strange but I can see it.

Maybe next week I'll take out the lead tape and I will see what happens with the strings durability.

thank for your reply.

[Ramon]

Originally Posted by melele

Are they lasted 10+ hours before to put the lead tape?

I'm not sure if you read my post correctly. When I had lead tape on my racquet, the strings were getting 10+ hours. I've been playing without lead tape recently, and without lead tape the same strings lasted 1-4 hours.

However, I don't attribute any of this to lead tape. I'm chalking it up as 2 unfortunate mishaps.

[Dunloper62]

Originally Posted by NickJ

Where do I need to add lead tape to on my wife to make her less aggressive?

At 3 & 9 to enlarge her sweetspot.

[Bartelby]

Every woman should play an ezone with lead, then?

[Alain]

HI,
I have 5 Volkl PB10 mid . I need to make them same specifications .
My prefer swingweight with this racquet seems to be 325 for a better maneuvrability with lesser weight possible .
Two of them are 331 with higher balance (+0.2) and weight( +2g) than the others .
I already used paper glass to sand the bumper ( from 3 to 9 o'clock) and decrease it easily for 2g .
Now the result is the same for the 5 racquets: 339g strung , Balance 31,7 , swingweight 325 .
Is it the good way to obtain the result or do you thik it would be better to accept to increase weight, balance, swingweight and decrease MGR/I°( initially 20,70) adding lead to the others racquets to obtain the same specifications for the 5 racquets ?
Is any vibrations will appear, playing when decreasing the bumper weight ?
In a second aspect , MGR/I° has increased from 20,70 to 20,82 . So is it the same to increase MGR/I° by increasing weight at 7" or decreasing the bumper weight ?
Do you agree ?

Thank you

Alain

[Love Anet]

A question about finding SW2. The procedure involved adding weight until the ball went long, and then keep adding until the ball goes in again.

My question is where are you supposed to be adding this weight when performing this exercise? Or does it matter?

[xFullCourtTenniSx]

Doesn't matter, but the farther up the grip is generally better.

Sorry for not updating. Got injured and avoided all things tennis because otherwise I'd end up playing through injuries and that's no good. Sorta forgot about this thread. O.o Wish I could give someone else the ability to edit the first post.

[Love Anet]

Originally Posted by xFullCourtTenniSx

Doesn't matter, but the farther up the grip is generally better.

Sorry for not updating. Got injured and avoided all things tennis because otherwise I'd end up playing through injuries and that's no good. Sorta forgot about this thread. O.o Wish I could give someone else the ability to edit the first post.

That's understandable, please, it's a wonderful thread. As a tennis player you are always wondering if you are using the most suitable racket. Usually you just try different rackets and hope for the best, it's all kind of vague. It's good to know there could be a more systematic approach.

In my question I was asking where on the entire racket do you add the weight, but you seem to be indicating that it should be on the handle. Is that correct? If so, why not at the 12 O'clock position, for example?