A few Lead Tape Questions.

K

kevin11

Guest
1) I own a prince exo 3 hybrid 100. This has o3 speedports on the 3 and 6 o'clock positions. With the speedports claiming to increase the sweetspot,is there any need to add lead to a exo3 racket? Since part of the point of lead is to change the sweetspot, is it not?

2) I added 4g lead tape to the throat today and played awfully. Has anyone else on here had bad experiences with lead on the throat?

3)If I use a heavier grip which alters the balance, where do I place lead tape to correct this?

4)Since my racket is engineered to have a wide sweetspot, would it be advisable to add lead to 12 and 6 to give a large overall sweetspot? (I am out of my depth here).

Thanks a lot.
 

UCSF2012

Hall of Fame
1) I own a prince exo 3 hybrid 100. This has o3 speedports on the 3 and 6 o'clock positions. With the speedports claiming to increase the sweetspot,is there any need to add lead to a exo3 racket? Since part of the point of lead is to change the sweetspot, is it not?

2) I added 4g lead tape to the throat today and played awfully. Has anyone else on here had bad experiences with lead on the throat?

3)If I use a heavier grip which alters the balance, where do I place lead tape to correct this?

4)Since my racket is engineered to have a wide sweetspot, would it be advisable to add lead to 12 and 6 to give a large overall sweetspot? (I am out of my depth here).

Thanks a lot.

The beauty of all this is that it's a discovery process. Try out different setups and see what you like. I love it at 3 and 9 o'clock. Some would rather have it at 12. No one places it at 6.

Lead can exaggerate the current sweetspot, or it can change/move it around. It can also give you access to incredible amounts of topspin. The problem is that you'll need LOTS of lead tape so you can experiment with various setups. It'll save you cash if you do NOT buy lead tape from a tennis shop. Google "lead foil tape."
 
K

kevin11

Guest
thanks. Back to the subject.

1) Is there any need for lead tape on a prince exo3, when the racket tech claims to increase the sweetspot?

2) Does anyone dislike lead on the throat?

3) If I use a heavier grip which alters the balance, where do I place lead tape to correct this?
 

Agent Orynge

Professional
thanks. Back to the subject.

1) Is there any need for lead tape on a prince exo3, when the racket tech claims to increase the sweetspot?

2) Does anyone dislike lead on the throat?

3) If I use a heavier grip which alters the balance, where do I place lead tape to correct this?

'Need' is a very subjective word. Adding lead tape isn't a necessary practice, it's something people do to remedy perceived deficiencies. Don't worry about what the racquet tech claims, worry about how the sweetspot feels to you. Remember, if it's not broke, don't fix it.

If you're truely dead set on experimenting with lead tape, you're just going to have to do it on your own, because no one can predict what's going to feel good for you. If you just need to know how to counterbalance a racquet, you can use the TW racquet customization tool here: http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/customization.php.
 
What do you mean no one puts lead at 6 o'clock? From my understanding, putting lead tape at 6 o'clock adds weight while making the smallest change to the balance of a racquet. If that's the case, that could be a very desirable outcome, and would be a perfectly valid reason to apply lead there.

In response to the OP:

1. Lead tape is only as necessary as you think it is. If you think it's too light or the balance is off, then you may feel it's productive. You don't need lead tape, you want lead tape :D

2. Never felt compelled to add lead at 6 o'clock. If you want to add weight and not alter the balance, go for it.

3. I would put it at 12 o'clock.

4. Well, give it a try. You can also try at 3 and 9 to widen it out. Personally, I'd prefer that just because I hit the middle of the strings so consistently.

Just goof around with it, you'll find something you like. For a starter, I'd add weight to the handle and the outsides of the frame and apply headguard tape so you don't have to cut out strings every time you wanna change your racquet's balance. Once you find a setup you like, you can apply tape to the insides of the frame.
 

TheLambsheadrep

Professional
When talking about a polarized/depolarized racket, a racket can still be 9 pts head light and polarized, right? I mean, even though weight is added at the butt cap and at 12, it doesnt mean a racket has to be evenly balanced to be polarized, right?
 

npadreman

New User
IMHO, you add lead to change the balance and swing-weight of a racquet, and the sweet-spot is moved toward where the lead is added. i don't like putting lead at 12 o'clock, preferring 10 and 2 o'clock because of issues with stability, then counterbalancing by adding lead at the top of the grip rather than at 6 o'clock

...but if someone disagrees, please refrain from insulting me ;-)
 

TheOneHander

Professional
When talking about a polarized/depolarized racket, a racket can still be 9 pts head light and polarized, right? I mean, even though weight is added at the butt cap and at 12, it doesnt mean a racket has to be evenly balanced to be polarized, right?

Right-o. Polarization just refers to the fact that weight is concentrated at the poles of the racquet.
 
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