Customizing racquets via lead tape

[iVillain]

Hey guys,

When you are generally customizing your sticks with lead tape to increase power/plow through, you usually place it at 12 on the racket head, correct?

In doing so, this should generally change the swing weight and point of balance of the racket. In my headspace, I am struggling with the concept of increasing power while increasing swingweight or changing balance point.

Conversely, if you add tape to the handle or throat to re-balance the racket at the same swingweight it was before, doesn't that defeat the purpose of adding the weight in the hoop in the first place?

I feel like I'm just missing out on wrapping my brain around this one!

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

[QUOTE="iVillain, post: 13005065, member: 763800"

Conversely, if you add tape to the handle or throat to re-balance the racket at the same swingweight it was before, doesn't that defeat the purpose of adding the weight in the hoop in the first place?

I feel like I'm just missing out on wrapping my brain around this one![/QUOTE]

This is crazy wrong thinking and needs to be eliminated, right here right now:

Rebalancing a frame in absolutely no way reduces the power that was added by adding weight to the hoop!!

Sent from my SM-T560NU using Tapatalk

 

[iVillain]

Hey 2nd Serve Ace,

I know that to be true. You are absolutely correct.

My problem is that I cannot understand WHY that is the case. Why does rebalancing your racket to the same swingweight NOT reduce the power you just added to the hoop. ???

 

[travlerajm]

Hey 2nd Serve Ace,

I know that to be true. You are absolutely correct.

My problem is that I cannot understand WHY that is the case. Why does rebalancing your racket to the same swingweight NOT reduce the power you just added to the hoop. ???

Because it is not possible (after adding lead tape the hoop) to restore your racquet to the original swingweight by adding weight to the handle.

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Hey 2nd Serve Ace,

I know that to be true. You are absolutely correct.

My problem is that I cannot understand WHY that is the case. Why does rebalancing your racket to the same swingweight NOT reduce the power you just added to the hoop. ???

I'm sorry, do you feel like the extra weight is slowing down your swingspeed?

This is a valid concern, but genuinely doesn't show up much in the standard range of what tennis players use.

Again, F=M×A so wherever you are, more mass (M) will get you more force (F) assuming acceleration is equivalent.

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Because it is not possible (after adding lead tape the hoop) to restore your racquet to the original swingweight by adding weight to the handle.

Right, there is no way to reduce the power that has been put into the hoop by the extra mass, the counterbalancing is an attempt to keep the swingspeed the same[emoji16]

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[Irvin]

Wow! LMAO

 

[golden chicken]

Here's how I like to think about swingweight and static balance and static weight:

Imagine this exercise with a 16 oz. hammer:

The hammer, when held normally, has a very high swingweight and we would call it head-heavy balance. If you held it upside-down by the hammer head and did the same exericise, it would have a very low swingweight and a very head-light balance. If you were to do a bicep curl instead, no matter which end you held the hammer, you'd be essentially curling 16 oz.

Now, imagine doing the same exercise holding a 1lb pipe the same length as the hammer. It would have an even balance and a medium swingweight during the pronation exercise, but would still be 16 oz. if you did a bicep curl.

Now, imagine doing the same exercise holding a 1 lb dumbbell that is the same length as the hammer. 1/3 lb at each end and 1/3 lb in the middle. It would still have an even balance and would still be 16 oz. if you did a curl, but the swingweight would be greater than the pipe because of that 1/3 lb way out at the end.

And so on...

When I pick up a racket, I go through a few shadow swings: Forehand, backhand, serve, and volley. What I am looking for is to apply a certain amount of muscular effort to each stroke and see how the racket's static weight, balance, and swingweight all affect the way the racket feels and responds in my hand to each swing. What I am looking for is something that on each stroke I have the most natural control over the racket face. Then, when I am playtesting, I want that natural feeling to correlate to the location of the sweet spot.

This is all a really complicated way of saying that I like a racket to be not too light, not too whippy, not too heavy, and not too much like a sledgehammer.

And, to answer the original post, I like to start by adding lead at 3 and 9. It has the added benefit of increasing twistweight. I wanted to try to move the sweet spot a little higher on my PS90s, so I adjusted my lead tape to 10 and 2.

 

[iVillain]

Wow! LMAO

Thanks man! Very constructive help!

 

[Irvin]

Thanks man! Very constructive help!

Changing the balance by adding weight will always increase swing weight. And anytime you increase the inertia of a racket you increase its ability resist any change in motion. That being said the farther the mass you add from the pivot the greater the increase is in inertia. For instance if you add mass in the 12 o'clock position of a racket you will have the greatest increase in swing weight and plow through. Assuming you original balance was 32 cm from the butt when you add mass at the top of the frame it moves up the balance point. When you add mass to butt the balance point moves back down but it can never lower swing weight by add mass.

Take a barbell and put in on your shoulder and twist it by rotating left and right. It should be easy with no weight on the bar. Now add 25 lbs on one side and it will be much harder to put the barbell on you shoulder and twist it primarily because the balance is way off. Add 25 lbs on the other side and again because you rebalanced it is easier to pick up and put it on your shoulder but it is still much harder to start and stop twisting because of added mass.

Swing speed? Doesn't it stand to reason the heavier an object is the harder it will be to accelerate? You can't increase swing speed by adding weight.

 

[t_pac]

I think you’re mixing up swing weight with manoeuvrability.

Adding weight at 12 will increase SW and change the balance.

Adding weight to the handle will change the balance back the other way, and will likely make the racket feel more manoeuvrable, but it won’t reduce the SW.

 

[Irvin]

I think you’re mixing up swing weight with manoeuvrability.

Adding weight at 12 will increase SW and change the balance.

Adding weight to the handle will change the balance back the other way, and will likely make the racket feel more manoeuvrable, but it won’t reduce the SW.

Let’s do the math and see what happens. Say you have a 330 g racket with a balance of 32 cm. That means you have a (32*330) 10,560 gcm force at the butt. If you add 4 g at 12 o’clock you will increase the swingweight by (57*57*.004) 13 points making it harder to swing. That 4 g also moves the gcm force at the butt by (67*4) 268. If you divide the total gcm force by total weight you get the new balance point of ((10,560+268)/(330+4)) 32.4 cm. Now you want to rebalance the racket so your balance is 32 cm again. You added 4 g @ 35 cm above the balance point so to get your balance back you need to add (4*35) 140 gcm below the balance point. Let’s assume you add that 140 gcm at 10 cm (the SW axis) so you SW does not change. To do that you must add (140/22) 6.4 g.

Now you have a racket that weighs 10.4 g more than it did originally, has a SW 13 points higher, has a gcm force of (32*340.4) 10,893 or up 333 gcm, and you expect it to feel the same when you swing it. I think that’s funny.

 

[t_pac]

Let’s do the math and see what happens. Say you have a 330 g racket with a balance of 32 cm. That means you have a (32*330) 10,560 gcm force at the butt. If you add 4 g at 12 o’clock you will increase the swingweight by (57*57*.004) 13 points making it harder to swing. That 4 g also moves the gcm force at the butt by (67*4) 268. If you divide the total gcm force by total weight you get the new balance point of ((10,560+268)/(330+4)) 32.4 cm. Now you want to rebalance the racket so your balance is 32 cm again. You added 4 g @ 35 cm above the balance point so to get your balance back you need to add (4*35) 140 gcm below the balance point. Let’s assume you add that 140 gcm at 10 cm (the SW axis) so you SW does not change. To do that you must add (140/22) 6.4 g.

Now you have a racket that weighs 10.4 g more than it did originally, has a SW 13 points higher, has a gcm force of (32*340.4) 10,893 or up 333 gcm, and you expect it to feel the same when you swing it. I think that’s funny.

If this is aimed at me (can only assume that since you quoted me), you seem a little confused by what I wrote. I said no such thing.

I simply implied that making a racket more headlight will generally make it feel more manoeuvrable.

 

[Anton]

Hey guys,

When you are generally customizing your sticks with lead tape to increase power/plow through, you usually place it at 12 on the racket head, correct?

In doing so, this should generally change the swing weight and point of balance of the racket. In my headspace, I am struggling with the concept of increasing power while increasing swingweight or changing balance point.

Conversely, if you add tape to the handle or throat to re-balance the racket at the same swingweight it was before, doesn't that defeat the purpose of adding the weight in the hoop in the first place?

I feel like I'm just missing out on wrapping my brain around this one!

Easiest way to “get it” is to just try it.

 

[Irvin]

@t_pac my post was not really aimed at anyone in particular I have a bad habit of doing that, sorry. BUT there are several notions stated in this thread that are just misleading just or not true. For instance adding mass to the head of the racket will increase the SW of a racket and give you more plow through. After adding mass to the head no amount of mass you add to the handle of the racket will increase the rackets maneuverability and make it more maneuverable than it was originally.

 

[iVillain]

@t_pac my post was not really aimed at anyone in particular I have a bad habit of doing that, sorry. BUT there are several notions stated in this thread that are just misleading just or not true. For instance adding mass to the head of the racket will increase the SW of a racket and give you more plow through. After adding mass to the head no amount of mass you add to the handle of the racket will increase the rackets maneuverability and make it more maneuverable than it was originally.

So adding Lead tape to 12 o clock increases plow through and swing speed accordingly, this gives the player a higher sense of power with their ball striking.

Adding lead tape to 3 and 9 o clock increases stability of the frame.

Going back to my original question, is it necessary to rebalance the racquet to where it was before the addition of lead tape. What are the pros and cons of doing this?

Thanks for helping the ignorant.

Cheers,

 

[golden chicken]

So adding Lead tape to 12 o clock increases plow through and swing speed accordingly, this gives the player a higher sense of power with their ball striking.

Adding lead tape to 3 and 9 o clock increases stability of the frame.

Going back to my original question, is it necessary to rebalance the racquet to where it was before the addition of lead tape. What are the pros and cons of doing this?

Thanks for helping the ignorant.

Cheers,

Not necessary at all in my opinion. But try it and see how it works for you.

 

[Irvin]

Going back to my original question, is it necessary to rebalance the racquet to where it was before the addition of lead tape. What are the pros and cons of doing this?

Necessary no it is not but many players would. If you only have one racket you’re playing with and you like the way the racket plays with lead tape in the head only then that’s fine.

 

[iVillain]

But that doesn't answer what the benefit of re-balancing after the lead tape is..

If you do ANYTHING to your racket and you like it, then thats fine...

 

[Username_]

Re-balancing changes the way it swings back into a more similar before the lead tape on the other end was placed.