Just an update, I've had 3M putty stuck on the bottom of my Prince Lightning 100 as a tail weight for over a year. Outside the butt cap, not inside. It hasn't budged and is still pliable. It's dirty and looks nasty but it works. Easy way to test handle weighting...so easy I see no reason to put it inside the handle. I just can't spin to start a match. I think it added about a half an ounce.
Anyone try wrapping blu tack in saran wrap or something else so it doesn’t create a gooey mess inside the handle?
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yeah I’ve done that method before several times. My go to is either that or preformed silicone blocks from an ice cube tray cut to weight
Anyone try wrapping blu tack in saran wrap or something else so it doesn’t create a gooey mess inside the handle?
Silicone cubes in an ice tray! Creativeyeah I’ve done that several times. My go to method is either that or pre formed silicone blocks from an ice cube tray cut to the right weight.
I’ve been doing this recently at 12 o'clock to find a SW I like. I was using lead but I’ll save that for final adjustments once I’ve dialed it in. I’ve also been putting it on the grip at 7 inches to play around with MgR/I. Blue-tac so much easier to adjust on court.You can also do this with Blu-Tack. And you can also place strips of Blu-Tack anywhere else on the inside of the hoop or the throat. It will stick even on hard hits.
Any of you opted to take out the foam filling in the handle and replace it with blue tac?
I've done it with two different racquets.
Yonex SV95s had a small foam cap just above the butt-capp. .
Wilson PS97SC had quite a bit of foam filling inside the handle - going several cms into the handle.
In both cases dug all of the foam out using large tweezers and replaced it with Blu Tack. No problems.
Does that mean everyone should use a 290g racquet?
Amen. There was a guy complaining about TE and one suggestion I gave was to add 10g at 12pm and about 20g in the handle. People wigged out at adding 30 sw points but thatnis exactly what you want to help the elbow.Any racquet under 340-350grams unstrung ain't good for my joints.
I injected a heap of silicon into the handle of my DR98, wish I’d used blue tac cos I want to take some back out now.
I injected a heap of silicon into the handle of my DR98, wish I’d used blue tac cos I want to take some back out now.
Thanks for the tip, I’ll give it a go. Have you tried this before? Just wondering if there could be any other problems this may cause.You can remove silicone from the handle as long as you take care.
Try and make some holes in the silicone. Grab some isopropyl alcohol and pour a little bit of it into each hole. Leave it to stand for an hour. The isopropyl alcohol should proceed to dissolve the silicone gel which whill make it easier to remove with a sharp blade, screwdriver, or large long stemmed tweezers. You should be able to get most of the silicone out of the handle .
Could you like carve some of it out? I wasnt brave enough for silicone. How are your rackets playing now?
I like the racquet but it’s just a bit too much heft for me. It’s great for pounding the ball from the baseline but too cumbersome for volley exchanges and I mainly play doubles. I may even just leave it as is, for a singles racquet, but I have tinkeritus.
In your guys’ experience how much blu tac added to the handle did it take to actually feel the dampening effect?
Thanks for the tip, I’ll give it a go. Have you tried this before? Just wondering if there could be any other problems this may cause.
In your guys’ experience how much blu tac added to the handle did it take to actually feel the dampening effect?
In my case with racquets like Babolat AeroPro Drive, anything over 4 grams noticeably dampens the vibrations especially at high DT levels. Keep in mind that a more cushioned racquet grip will enhance the dampening effect. So called "Vibration Dampeners" won't make any difference though.
AeroPro drives and PS97s have a trap door in the Butt Cap which can be removed to reveal the cavity insided the handle. The Blue Tac can simply be pushed into the cavity. Alternatively, wrap the glob of Blue Tac in plastic food wrap and then push it into the cavity. Wrapping it in plastic film will make it a lot easier to remove if you decide it doesn't work for you.
Ah I guess I wasn’t clear. I know about the cavity inside the buttcap. There’s usually two sides though so I was wondering if you just put all the tac on one side or split it in both?
Ah I guess I wasn’t clear. I know about the cavity inside the buttcap. There’s usually two sides though so I was wondering if you just put all the tac on one side or split it in both?
OK, my answer to this is simple or complicated depending on your beliefs.
1/ Simple answer is to split the weight and put half in each cavity. That will work regardless of how the compartments are configured.
Now imagine you are holding your racquet with an Eastern Grip ...
1/ If there is an upper and a lower compartment ... put all of the mass in the upper compartment. Always orient the racquet so that the weight is on the top side of the handle when you are hitting FH and BH ground strokes.
2/ If there is a front and back compartment ... put all of the mass in the front compartment. Always orient the racquet so that the weight is on the front side of the handle when you are hitting your FAVOURED ground stroke (either FH or BH). Ideally, flip the racquet so that the weight is always on the front side of the handle when you hit a groundstroke or a volley. But if you find that cumbersome, select one side and stick with it.
I have been using blue tack or an equivalent now for about 3 years. Definitely found that it damps vibration at "stinging" frequencies, but sufficiently transmits the "good" feel to the hand so that touch shots don't suffer.
Re the equivalent product, 3M makes it, I have found to be a bit lower viscosity and gives a bit better feel--it is tan or off-white in color, you should be able to find it in office supply stores also. Be sure to stuff cotton in the cavity before the putty, which ever you use, so you can get it out and if it dries out it doesnt get into the hoop and rattle. I find these putties to be preferable over silicon as they are much easier to remove for adjustments.
When you add this in the handle and lead tape in the hoop, you are "polarizing" your racquet, and can use that to advantage to create spin, especially with the windshield wiper forehand. Some folks like me are fans of polarizing, others don't prefer it. its a matter of personal preference.
As another experiment, once you have installed the putty, you can press nails or fishing weights into it to increase the mass of the racquet butt end, for a more head light effect.
Very interested in the physics of one compartment weight. In what way has this been helpful 4 u.....did u feel as if there was more "mass" in these circumstances, compared woth 2 compartment method? Cheers in advance
I recently started adjusting my PS97 racquets, and blutack worked out great. I pulled out most of the foam in both compartments, rolled the blutack a bit first and then jammed it in until it was almost flush with the opening of the compartment (the buttcap area is still clean). I didn't bother with plastic film, I was on a one-way journey.
Does adding blu tac to the hoop or any weight for that matter make it stiffer?
I didn't want to lead my clash so tried the blu tac at 9 and 3 o clock but not sure if it makes the frame stiffer or not and thus more tennis elbow problems?
Is the general congecture any weight added to the hoop makes it stiffer even if it is blu tac?
I guess you watched the Richard Parnell video showing how he used Blu-Tack to move weight around to change the SW of a racket.Blu Tac is also handy for when trying to place weight on the racquet to get that desired weight/balance/swingweight etc you want, or at least as close to it as you can.
then finish it off with the lead tape around the hoop/inner throat/pallets for the ultimate finish.
another good thing is it can be re-used, to estimate/measure other racquets.
Nah - I use blue Tac the way I mentioned in my post before I saw RP’s video. A good and informative video that is.I guess you watched the Richard Parnell video showing how he used Blu-Tack to move weight around to change the SW of a racket.
I think he used a lot of guessing in the video to find what he needed. I doubt anyone new to customizing could guess as correctly as he did. I’ve found that the lead tape I use is 11 cm per gram, without the paper backing. If I want to add 5.3 grams I simply multiply that by 11 and know I need (11*5.3) 58.3 cm of lead tape. I don’t waste any lead and it’s a lot faster that making 5 1 g balls and a 0.3 g ball of Blu-Tack. Then comes the process of increasing inertia or SW. If I know I want to increase inertia by 5 points without changing the balance with 5.3 g of mass all I need to do is first add 5.3 g at the balance point. Adding mass at the balance point will not change the balance no matter how much mass you add but it will increase the inertia. if my balance point is 31.5 cm that’s (31.5-10) 21.5 cm above the 10 cm SW pivot. Inertia formula is I = mr^2. So adding 5.3 g at 21.5 cm above the pivot adds (.0053*21.5*21.5) 2.45 points to the SW. if my original intention was to add 5 points to SW I still need (5-2.45) 2.55 points. As long as I add an equal amount of weight equidistantly above and below the balance point the balance point won’t change. Now that I know I need to increase SW by 2.55 point more with 5 g of mass I can use the formula I = mr^2, but this time I’m going to move it around a little. I can say SQRT(I/m) = r, therefore, SQRT(2.55/.005) = 22.6 cm. All that’s left now is to add 2.5 g of lead tape at (31.5-22.6) 8.9 cm and (31.5+22.6) 54.1 cm. I’m almost home, I know 8.9 cm from the butt is in the handle so I add (2.5*11) 27.5 cm of lead tape at 8.9 cm from the butt, and 27.5 cm of lead tape 54.1 cm from the butt. 54.1 cm is at the 3&9 o’clock positions so I’d divide the 27.5 cm of lead tape in to 4 ~6.9 cm strips and center them on the racket 54.1 cm from the butt.
I know all that math may sound complicated but I really think it is easier than it looks, especially if you use an Excel spreadsheet to do all the math for you. Another simpler option would be to use the TWU Customization Tool as seem below. I like my math version better because I feel it is more accurate.
EDIT: Also moving all the Blu-Tack balls around if you’re using a SW machine and balance scale isn’t too difficult, but if you’re using the TWU Swingweight Calculator it’s a pain in the butt.
Yes i found the blu tac at 3 and 9 o clock seemed to make it feel stiffer at certain points even when i took it off amd left the 6g in the handle it still causes me arm pain. Took it out arm is fine. Maybe i cant handle that added weight.Not helpful for me but it has been reported by others that configuring the racquet in that manner can make it easier to whip the racquet upwards in order to increase the topspin potential.
Wrapping the Btack in plastic film is only really necessary in the following situations ...
1/ It is easier to measure exact amounts of Bt and wrap them in film
2/ It is easier to extract the Bt from inside a handle if it is wrapped in film
3/ In areas of climate extremes, the Bt will turn into a goeey mess and flow inside the racquet handle - especially if the racquets are used in hot climates. Wrapping the Bt in plastic film keeps the insided of the handle clean and tidy and ensures the Bt remains where it was positioned. I have seen situations where the Bt turns into a goeey mess, flows deeper into the handle and then solidifys again. In some instances you can end up with peices of solidified Bt within the confines of the racquet hoop itself. The rattle will drive you nuts.
Adding mass to a racquet will usually make it stiffer. However, if the material used to add the mass absorbs vibration then the racquet will feel more comfortable and reduce the likelihood of tennis related arm injures ASSOCIATED WITH VIBRATION SHOCK. Keep in mind no all injuries are associated with vibration shock. Simply wielding a heavier racquet can lead to arm injuries.
Blue-Tac and silicone tend to absorb vibrations. But the extra weight has to be considered.
Yes i found the blu tac at 3 and 9 o clock seemed to make it feel stiffer at certain points even when i took it off amd left the 6g in the handle it still causes me arm pain. Took it out arm is fine. Maybe i cant handle that added weight.
When i took it off my arm is fine now with the clash just not sure if can handle the 100 pro with the same set up and 34g all in as it'll be 359g which seems much even if 9 pts HLWho knows? Remember, even though Blue Tac and Silicone can facilitate the absorbption of vibrations, different people are susceptible to different vibrations frequencies. It could be that in your case, you are sensitive to a range of vibrations that are not masked enough by adding BT or Silicone to the frame.
Another thing to note is that tennis related arm fatigue / injuries can be caused by ball impact vibration shock and / or post impact vibration shock. They are two different things and the configuration of a racquet can affect both of those things significantly in both positive or negative ways when related to potential to cause arm fatigue / pain / injury.
When i took it off my arm is fine now with the clash just not sure if can handle the 100 pro with the same set up and 34g all in as it'll be 359g which seems much even if 9 pts HL
Pete, how many threads are you on? Just use the rubber bands already. If you don’t like them try blue tack. You’re stressing too much over it.How much better is blu tak at absorbing shock/vibration vs rubber bands?
Yeah i can fit a much more condensed amount in the butt cap but does it do a better job than rubber?
I can only fit 6 rubber bands in the butt cap above the nails but can fit quite a substantial weight of blu tak
I guess it depends whether a lot of blu tak absorbs shock better than 6 rubber bands
The extra weight aggravates my tennis elbow though as it is concentrated all in 1 area of the butt cap. Maybe i can use less than not pack it in so much.
I feel that having most of the handle filled with rubber bands would absorb shock better as it travels down whereas just in the butt cap it may not absorb it all when hitting the frame
Pete, how many threads are you on? Just use the rubber bands already. If you don’t like them try blue tack. You’re stressing too much oveh
How do i get the bloody silicone out it isnt as simple as that fmlPete, how many threads are you on? Just use the rubber bands already. If you don’t like them try blue tack. You’re stressing too much over it.
Just send your racquet back and request one that doesn’t have the $&%#! silicone in it. Or you can stew around in these threads whining till days end and be frustrated. Look, it’s not gonna make that big of difference when you play with it. Have you even tried it?!How do i get the bloody silicone out it isnt as simple as that fml
How can i send it back i bought it a year ago i dont know how long wilson warranty is and the retailer prob wont take it backJust send your racquet back and request one that doesn’t have the $&%#! silicone in it. Or you can stew around in these threads whining till days end and be frustrated. Look, it’s not gonna make that big of difference when you play with it. Have you even tried it?!
Well blu tack won’t absorb vibration as well as rubber bands. What you could do is weigh your racquet and see if it’s in spec. Then use rubber bands as needed to get your desired specs.On a side note of those of you using blu tak in the butt cap for shock absorption and easier customisation for added weight instead of lead
Have you actually found it absorbs shock well as i put it in the butt cap of my racket and it has not helped if anything it has made the vibration worse especially compared to using rubber bands which noone else seems to use but me on here.
I found like 12-15g in the butt cap of blu tak does not absorb shock better than 6 thick rubber bands.
The rubber bands removes like 10%+ shock and vibration in both of my v2 and v1 108 clashes.
The v1 clash has little to none now and the v2 has some but less than before
can you send photo of the rubber band inside your racket?On a side note of those of you using blu tak in the butt cap for shock absorption and easier customisation for added weight instead of lead
Have you actually found it absorbs shock well as i put it in the butt cap of my racket and it has not helped if anything it has made the vibration worse especially compared to using rubber bands which noone else seems to use but me on here.
I found like 12-15g in the butt cap of blu tak does not absorb shock better than 6 thick rubber bands.
The rubber bands removes like 10%+ shock and vibration in both of my v2 and v1 108 clashes.
The v1 clash has little to none now and the v2 has some but less than before
How do i post pics on here it doesnt let me attach pics?can you send photo of the rubber band inside your racket?
I use rubber bands for vibration absorption rather than adding weightWell blu tack won’t absorb vibration as well as rubber bands. What you could do is weigh your racquet and see if it’s in spec. Then use rubber bands as needed to get your desired specs.
Okay, I’m glad we established that very important point lolI use rubber bands for vibration absorption rather than adding weight