ferrari_827
Professional
I don't know about others, but I enjoy customizing a new racket. To me, it's like personalizing your car with accessories or doing a house improvement project.
1) First off, the grip usually requires customization for a completely comfortable feel. Sometimes there is a sharp bumpy feel near the butt cap so what I do is remove the grip and add electrical tape to create a "tapering" effect. Sometimes (especially Yonex/Head), more electrical tape is needed on the handle for the most comfortable grip size.
Electrical tape is cheap and you can change the grip size in very fine, but noticeable increments, probably as small as 1/16-1/32 of an inch.
Finally, an overgrip, and my favorite so far is Prince Duratec which is $5 for three grips. I don't like a really tacky feel so I actually use the non-tacky smooth side (!)
2) Vibration dampener. I select a dampener depending on the degree required. For very good dampening, the Head dampener works well (although I don't like the asymmetrical shape). Moderate dampening, Pete Sampras ring. Moderate/low, Wilson Profeel. And low, a rubber band.
3) Lead taping. I've already posted on this, but this is the most involved but most important part of customizing a racket. It's by no means as people might think, it takes some experience, experimentation and good "feel".
The best way is to lead tape in stages. In the first stage, you have an idea of where and how much lead tape to apply. It's better to be conservative because you can always add small amounts, even if it's 1/2inch, but to remove it, you pretty much have to rip off the entire strip and trash it.
There is a good chance that after applying tape to an area of the racket, you'll need it somewhere else, and this is dictated by "feel" (sorry, I can't think of a better way). This is the final fine-tuning step, and it does require experimentation.
One method I've used for determining location points for lead taping is to put sections of lead tape (with the adhesive paper still *intact*) on the racket using a bit of regular office tape; this way, you can swing the racket and see how the racket feels without actually sticking the lead tape proper.
4) Head tape. Depending on how sturdy the bumper guard looks, I'll either use Babolat Head tape for good protection or just a minimal layer of electrical tape. I prefer electrical tape because it adds virtually no weight to the head and is cheap to replace.
5) Sometimes, you get a couple of chips on a new racket, so I just fill in the area with a small amount of super glue to prevent further damage.
Voila ! Maybe I should open up a racket detailing shop ?
1) First off, the grip usually requires customization for a completely comfortable feel. Sometimes there is a sharp bumpy feel near the butt cap so what I do is remove the grip and add electrical tape to create a "tapering" effect. Sometimes (especially Yonex/Head), more electrical tape is needed on the handle for the most comfortable grip size.
Electrical tape is cheap and you can change the grip size in very fine, but noticeable increments, probably as small as 1/16-1/32 of an inch.
Finally, an overgrip, and my favorite so far is Prince Duratec which is $5 for three grips. I don't like a really tacky feel so I actually use the non-tacky smooth side (!)
2) Vibration dampener. I select a dampener depending on the degree required. For very good dampening, the Head dampener works well (although I don't like the asymmetrical shape). Moderate dampening, Pete Sampras ring. Moderate/low, Wilson Profeel. And low, a rubber band.
3) Lead taping. I've already posted on this, but this is the most involved but most important part of customizing a racket. It's by no means as people might think, it takes some experience, experimentation and good "feel".
The best way is to lead tape in stages. In the first stage, you have an idea of where and how much lead tape to apply. It's better to be conservative because you can always add small amounts, even if it's 1/2inch, but to remove it, you pretty much have to rip off the entire strip and trash it.
There is a good chance that after applying tape to an area of the racket, you'll need it somewhere else, and this is dictated by "feel" (sorry, I can't think of a better way). This is the final fine-tuning step, and it does require experimentation.
One method I've used for determining location points for lead taping is to put sections of lead tape (with the adhesive paper still *intact*) on the racket using a bit of regular office tape; this way, you can swing the racket and see how the racket feels without actually sticking the lead tape proper.
4) Head tape. Depending on how sturdy the bumper guard looks, I'll either use Babolat Head tape for good protection or just a minimal layer of electrical tape. I prefer electrical tape because it adds virtually no weight to the head and is cheap to replace.
5) Sometimes, you get a couple of chips on a new racket, so I just fill in the area with a small amount of super glue to prevent further damage.
Voila ! Maybe I should open up a racket detailing shop ?
