How to make a racquet rock solid like a wall

Gee

Gee

Hall of Fame
Lately I played a doubles match, During that match one of my opponents began to hit his returns very hard at me while I was standing on the net. I wasn't able to control these mean balls and I noticed my Völkl C10s were shaking when I tried to block the ball.

Earlier I didn't have this problem when I played with Tecnifibre TF335 16x20 that felt definitely more solid (and stiffer) than the C10 Pro.

How can I customize my C10 Pro to make it as solid as a wall (like the Tecnifibre TF335)? l guess some lead at 3 and 9 might help to increase the stability. I also consider to switch to another (more stable) racquet like the Wilson 6.1 16x18 but I am afraid I dislike the stiffer feel as I never liked Wilson frames I demoed into past.

Any more suggestions and tips would be appreciated.
 
Seth

Seth

Legend
Maybe it has more to do with where you were catching the volleys. If you're a 5.0 using a C10 Pro, I'm sure it's plenty stable.
 
T

TennisCJC

Legend
You sort of answered your own question. Yes, a little lead at 3/9 o'c will make the racket volley better and be more stable in general. Also, don't look to the racket to solve all your problems. If you were getting blasted by tough passing shots while at the net, you may have been making contact late and/or off center. A racket can only do so much to fix this problem. But, if you want to maximize efficiency of the racket, you might also want to demo a Volkl SG10 325 or 295. Both are crisper than C10 but both need lead tape in the head to have sufficient swing weight.

By the way, W 6.1 16x18 is a very lively racket due to the open pattern. Personally, I don't think it is a good doubles choice and like the 16x19 pattern in the Volkl rackets better. C10 and SG10 volkl frames are also more comfortable.
 
Gee

Gee

Hall of Fame
TennisCJC said:
You sort of answered your own question. Yes, a little lead at 3/9 o'c will make the racket volley better and be more stable in general. Also, don't look to the racket to solve all your problems. If you were getting blasted by tough passing shots while at the net, you may have been making contact late and/or off center. A racket can only do so much to fix this problem. But, if you want to maximize efficiency of the racket, you might also want to demo a Volkl SG10 325 or 295. Both are crisper than C10 but both need lead tape in the head to have sufficient swing weight.

By the way, W 6.1 16x18 is a very lively racket due to the open pattern. Personally, I don't think it is a good doubles choice and like the 16x19 pattern in the Volkl rackets better. C10 and SG10 volkl frames are also more comfortable.
Click to expand...
Thanks TennisCJC,
I think you mentioned some good options and I 'll try some lead at 3 and 9 first and see how that performs during my next matches this weekend.
How does the forgiveness compare between the C10 and SG325? Which one has a bigger sweetspot and is easier to play with?
 
o0lunatik

o0lunatik

Professional
Gee said:
Any more suggestions and tips would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Get the RF97. It has that rock solid stability that you're looking for. It'll make your opponent balls feel like it was shot from a peashooter. It's quite of a racquet to haul around, but life's about making sacrifices to satisfy certain desires.
 
tnnsg

tnnsg

New User
Pls check the handle pallets cos volkls can be customized & occasionally with age n hot surroundings make them loose to the frame base,I had similar issue with C10 pro n got the palettes replaced .Otherwise, on its own C10 pro is as solid as a racquet can get. If you can handle higher static and swing weight then lead up in hoop as well as at the base.
 
L

leohaegger

Guest
o0lunatik said:
Get the RF97. It has that rock solid stability that you're looking for. It'll make your opponent balls feel like it was shot from a peashooter. It's quite of a racquet to haul around, but life's about making sacrifices to satisfy certain desires.
Click to expand...

This!!! It is as solid as a wall.
 
Irvin

Irvin

Talk Tennis Guru
Gee said:
Lately I played a doubles match, During that match one of my opponents began to hit his returns very hard at me while I was standing on the net. I wasn't able to control these mean balls and I noticed my Völkl C10s were shaking when I tried to block the ball.

Earlier I didn't have this problem when I played with Tecnifibre TF335 16x20 that felt definitely more solid (and stiffer) than the C10 Pro.

How can I customize my C10 Pro to make it as solid as a wall (like the Tecnifibre TF335)? l guess some lead at 3 and 9 might help to increase the stability. I also consider to switch to another (more stable) racquet like the Wilson 6.1 16x18 but I am afraid I dislike the stiffer feel as I never liked Wilson frames I demoed into past.

Any more suggestions and tips would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
You can't get there from here the TF335 weighs more and the SW is lower. The only way you can get the weight of the Volkl C10 up to the 335 is the add weight. The more weight you have the higher the SW. The farther the weight is above the axis the higher the SW will be. If you add weight you probably will like it less, you will bet tired faster, and your forearm will hurt after extended play. TF335 may be available if you google it, otherwise you need a lighter racket with a low SW to use as a platform racket with a stiffness around 67 RAs. Use the racket finder to search for rackets and demo them.

EDIT: It is going to be hard finding another frame like the TF335. It has a low SW for it heavy static weight because of it low balance point.
 
movdqa

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
Differing racquets have differing stability but lead tape can generally fix this class of problems.

I have YT Prestige MPs and I had to add 13 grams of lead at 3/9 to get a stable feeling. On my IG Prestige MPs, I don't need to add any lead at all at 3/9. It appears that Head added mass at 3/9 in the IG model. I have 15 grams of lead on the IG Prestige MP between 10 and 2 and it feels as solid as a rock.

If you want more stability without added swingweight, then you can add weight in the handle. I think that the hoop will still get pushed somewhat but you won't feel it as much.
 
F

fuzz nation

G.O.A.T.
Gee said:
Thanks TennisCJC,
I think you mentioned some good options and I 'll try some lead at 3 and 9 first and see how that performs during my next matches this weekend.
How does the forgiveness compare between the C10 and SG325? Which one has a bigger sweetspot and is easier to play with?
Click to expand...

I keep both the C10 and the O10 325g (version that preceded the SG 325) in my bag and my O10's are customized with some lead at both 3/9 o'clock as well as on their handles. The tuned O10's are still lighter than my C10's - which also have leaded handles, but unleaded hoops - but I much prefer the O10's for doubles.

Hard to say exactly why, but I'll bet it's a combo of a couple things. The O10's are quicker handling, but still heavy enough to feel stable for me even when the heat turns up at the net. The O10 also has a stiffer hoop than the C10 and I think that the crisp feedback at contact gives me a more connected, confident feel with my volleys. The hoop flex of the C10 seems to give it a boost in the arm-friendliness department, but its feel and touch with volleys can be slightly more vague, even when strung with perhaps a nice snug set of 17ga. syn. gut.

I've done a comparison and I MUCH prefer my C10's with lead added to their handles - that extra HL balance (approx. 10 pts. HL) feels most familiar for me with a racquet having this much heft. Before trying to find an alternative, I'd say try yours with some more HL balance tuned in. If it maneuvers a little better for you, that might make this frame a sharper performer around the net.

I got my O10's several years after I'd been playing the C10's and I did NOT like the O10's until I decided to experiment with the lead tape. If you take the plunge with the Super G 10, I'd encourage you to also get a pack of lead tape just in case. Only a few grams total on the hoop was enough to give me a substantial improvement with my O10's. If I hadn't made the effort to try a little tuning, I would have missed out on an absolute gem of a racquet that I enjoy for everything other than full speed baseline ripping with a few of the strongest players I know.
 
anirut

anirut

Legend
How to make a racket rock solid like a wall?

Get a hollow one and pour concrete into it. Wait for the concrete to cure.

//Sorry, coudln't resist.
 
BreakPoint

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
Switch to a different racquet. The Volkl C10 Pro has never been a stable racquet and never will be no matter what you do to it. It's inherent in the design, which makes it feel like a wet noodle to most people, including me. Always felt disconcerting to me when I hit the ball as the hoop will flex and shake, rattle, and roll. Some people like that feel but I much prefer something rock solid stable, like the Wilson Pro Staffs.
 
movdqa

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
Anything modern can feel like a concrete wall with enough lead tape.

Of course the racquet is then more about the lead tape than the racquet.
 
movdqa

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
BreakPoint said:
But you can't prevent a hoop from flexing by adding lead tape.
Click to expand...

If you added a thousand pounds of lead tape to the hoop and it was struck by a tennis ball, would it flex? How much would it flex compared to a hoop with no lead tape?

I did various experiments with 17 ounce racquets, and, at that mass, you don't even really feel the ball. You can hit a ball with the side of the racquet and there's no discernable vibration or shock.

You don't get any twisting in your hand either.
 
BreakPoint

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
movdqa said:
If you added a thousand pounds of lead tape to the hoop and it was struck by a tennis ball, would it flex? How much would it flex compared to a hoop with no lead tape?

I did various experiments with 17 ounce racquets, and, at that mass, you don't even really feel the ball. You can hit a ball with the side of the racquet and there's no discernable vibration or shock.

You don't get any twisting in your hand either.
Click to expand...
I'm not talking about shock or vibration, I'm talking about flex. Adding lead tape to the hoop does not make the frame stiffer.

Adding a thousand pounds of lead tape to the hoop will make the frame break in half. :oops:
 
RalphJ

RalphJ

Banned
Yep the C10 is an excellent racquet. Just like you said, a little lead at 3$9 should help.

You could try the RF97, but there is certainly nothing wrong with what you're playing with.
 
movdqa

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
BreakPoint said:
I'm not talking about shock or vibration, I'm talking about flex. Adding lead tape to the hoop does not make the frame stiffer.

Adding a thousand pounds of lead tape to the hoop will make the frame break in half. :oops:
Click to expand...

Yes, but it will play stiffer.

Been there, done that.
 
K

kingcheetah

Hall of Fame
1) Sell ALL current Racquets
2) Buy RF97s

In all seriousness, I'd add some weight at 3 and 9, then some to the handle to maintain the balance. Should help.
 
R

RanchDressing

Hall of Fame
There are two kinds of stability in a racquet. For me i thought i lacked torsional stability on my volleys for a while, and added more weight at 3/9. This made things worse as the racquet had more power, and was harder to manuver. I literally assumed I must be just be very bad at volleys.

Then I discovered how to calculate recoil weight. Recoil weight is essentially the stability of the frame. Think of it up and down rather than side to side. Think of when the racquet is completely still (very much like on a volley), and the ball collides into the center of the stringbed. How much the racquet tips move back and fourth in your hand is related to the recoil weight. High recoil weight, lower the rebound.

Three things impact the recoil weight. Swingweight, static weight, and balance point. Higher swingweight gives higher recoil weight, lower static weight gives higher recoil weight, and lower balance point gives higher recoil weight. So adding weight to the tips of the frame can help the most, as these locations influence the swingweight or balance point the most, while adding the least static weight. If you can, adding weight to both the tip and handle is ideal. But if you can't add more swingweight or don't want to, adding weight to the handle will work too, just not quite as dramatically for a given mass.

Doing this helped a lot. I bumped my swingweight up and added as much weight to my handle as possible. It made volleying feel so so so easy compared to before. I have a lot more confidence going up to net now that i know my racquet won't flail around as soon as i hit the ball.
 
movdqa

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
3/9 can work well too. Wawrinka and Berdych both have the long strips at 3/9 and they both volley and hit absolute rockets on groundstrokes too.
 
M

Murrayjuannow

Banned
It is actually the player that makes the racquet looks like a practice wall. Give a racquet to a 1 month old baby and it will look like a bed or a blanket.
 
Zoolander

Zoolander

Hall of Fame
Murray uses PT57A which to me feels like a flexy noodle. Then he adds a crapload of lead to it so it weighs about a kilo (roughly). I bet that thing feels like a brick wall.
 
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