Customizing a very light racquet

[RDS001]

Has anyone ever tried customizing a very light racquet, for example something like Yonex Vcore Si 98 Team that is 275g unstrung?
I was thinking of adding around 20g of lead tape in total, mostly to the head, and a leather grip, with some minor lead tape to the lower part of the grip.
What do you guys think how would that play, I never actually customized this light racquet, so I'm afraid that it wouldn't play well, or feel well, any input would be great

 

[mawashi]

Has anyone ever tried customizing a very light racquet, for example something like Yonex Vcore Si 98 Team that is 275g unstrung?
I was thinking of adding around 20g of lead tape in total, mostly to the head, and a leather grip, with some minor lead tape to the lower part of the grip.
What do you guys think how would that play, I never actually customized this light racquet, so I'm afraid that it wouldn't play well, or feel well, any input would be great

Before you even begin do you have an idea of what you want it to be like?

 

[BlueB]

This tool will be your best friend, before you even started:
http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/customizationReverse.php

Also, I'd leave the original grip and stuff some Blue-Tac into the handle. At least, if there was a trap door on the butt cap.

 

[frank52]

I weighted up a Pure Drive Light to 326 grams strung. I stuck a tube up inside the frame and filled the hoop and throat with expanding foam from a pressurized can. I then balanced the racket by adding adhesive putty in the handle area. This is my favorite racket. Very stable, shock level is low, and handles great. FYI - "adhesive putty" is the generic name for Blu-Tac adhesive putty.

 

[zalive]

I've done this with two light platforms:

1. Pro Kennex Destiny FCS 265 - 270 grams unstrung
2. Mantis 250 - 250 grams unstrung

First one turned out great. I never completely succeeded to come close to it with the second one, although I tried much more modifications.

Conclusions I've come to:
a) This concept gives you some great possibilies and opportunities since you have much space (mass which you can add) to try your ideas.
b) Platform racquet has to have a sound design - there are certain things which you cannot improve by customization, like head design, or especially string pattern density distribution; there are certain things which you can improve greatly, like mass distrubution, but some platforms will make your life complicated in trying to do it.

 

[Backhanded Compliment]

In the 80's my little brother took a Max sc95 through lead and adding extra overgrips (he liked is squishy)and leaded it up to 12.9 oz. It was an incredible beast... true box beam, foam filled.

 

[LeeD]

I weight up my 3 Aero500's with 24" of 1/2" lead tape around the buttcap, add 2 strips of 6" same tape to 3-9, another 2 strips of 3" at 12 o clock.
Stock strung, 10.3 oz, 308 SW.
Leaded strung, 12 oz, 325 SW.

 

[JohnBPittsburgh]

I have done it to numerous frames, all with success. I had a specific goal in mind (330 grams unstrung, 6-8 pts headlight) and accomplished it with silicone and lead tape. Give it a shot, but go with blutack initially until you find the perfect specs. Then, if you want a more permanent solution, silicone it.

 

[Shroud]

Has anyone ever tried customizing a very light racquet, for example something like Yonex Vcore Si 98 Team that is 275g unstrung?
I was thinking of adding around 20g of lead tape in total, mostly to the head, and a leather grip, with some minor lead tape to the lower part of the grip.
What do you guys think how would that play, I never actually customized this light racquet, so I'm afraid that it wouldn't play well, or feel well, any input would be great

One of the lightest rackets around is the Wilson BLX 2. I added almost 100g to it. IIRC it started at 246 or something close. I thought a good practice was to do the handle. Mine added 40g. If the leather adds a net say 10g, then add 10g at 12pm to preserve the stock balance. Then see how it is. If its fine, great. Then fine tune from there. I would put 1gram in the handle and 1 gram at 12pm and kept going like that. Go slow.

Yonex rackets are weird to me and I might be off base but if you can put some putty in the trapdoor thats better to me than lead on the handle because it wont increase the size and is removeable. But let me guess, you cant add weight like that to Yonex or something silly.

 

[mhkeuns]

Unlike most posters here, I have only succeeded on modifying two frames - Pro Staff 95 and TFight 315 18x20 - , but it was following/copying Spin2Win's method.

When I tried on lighter frames like the SI 98 Lite, it made the frame feel heavy without having noticeable improvement in play. I think it's a long & careful process that I just don't have enough patience for.

 

[scotus]

The light racquets that are easy to modify are head-heavy ones (i.e., if you like head-light balance)

Then all you have to do is add a heap of weight to the handle.

 

[mucat]

The light racquets that are easy to modify are head-heavy ones (i.e., if you like head-light balance)

Then all you have to do is add a heap of weight to the handle.

Agree.
I buy one grip size smaller, have lead tapes run along each bevel, then add remaining lead tapes to the throat and hoop to target weight.
I found lighter rackets has better shock absorption tech, and it gets even better with more weight.

 

[RDS001]

thank you all for your input, I decided not to try and customize Yonex si 98 team, but decided it will be better to try and tweak Wilson six one 95s, since it has a great spec already in stock form, and will require less work and effort to achieve my desired spec

 

[zalive]

310 g unstrung? That's about a border, this is around 335 grams strung with overgrip and dampener.
You can do it, but you can't get it to a higher SW range without ending up on a pretty heavy side. Say, SW 330+ with needed counterweight to feel good will get you to 350+ grams. Which is not bad, but you must be prepared for that.

 

[Shroud]

thank you all for your input, I decided not to try and customize Yonex si 98 team, but decided it will be better to try and tweak Wilson six one 95s, since it has a great spec already in stock form, and will require less work and effort to achieve my desired spec

Going by memory but I think my 95S ended up around 370g or something. The normal 6.1 95 was 383g IIRC.

The light racquets that are easy to modify are head-heavy ones (i.e., if you like head-light balance)

Then all you have to do is add a heap of weight to the handle.

Yep, the BLX2 is a dream for this because its 15pts HH and under 250g. The Hyper hammer 5.3 is good too, the Prince Warrior 100L, the Dunlop bio S5.0 light all are great choices.