Different Grip sizes = same Balance?

[jlambertou]

My question is this:

Are the different grip sizes on most racquets engineered to come out to the same weight and balance?

So for example, if I am really wanting a 4 1/2 grip, but I buy a racquet with a 4 3/8, and add a heat shrink sleeve under the grip, is the resulting racquet actually slightly heavier and more headlight than a stock 4 1/2 grip racquet would be? [This question occured to me after reading the TW article on increasing grip size].

Thanks!

 

[jlambertou]

Posts move down so fast here, if someone doesn't answer in the first couple hours nobody will notice the thread =0 So I was wondering if someone could answer this. Does a stock 4 1/4 have the same weight and balance point as a stock 4 5/8, and all the sizes in between?

 

[nickb]

In theory it should do and most likely will but you never know with some companies quality control these days..

BTW welcome to the forum

 

[Fred Perry]

My question is this:

[This question occured to me after reading the TW article on increasing grip size].

where do I find this article?

 

[Irvin]

I just weighed a heat shrink tube and it weighs 19 grams. That is .667 ounces. Therefore I would think building the grip up with heat shrink tubes would make the racket heavier than buying a grips at the desired size.

Irvin

 

[Dangus]

where do I find this article?

I think he's referring to this article:
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/LC/increasegripsize/increasegrip.html

 

[grizzly4life]

but not sure any of this answers the question....

the tennis companies advertise racquets at same weight regardless of grip size, but i'm wondering if that's true or if it's true of 4 3/8 (for example).... basically, do they counter-balance for the larger/smaller grip sizes? i would have assumed they do, but i'm skeptical.

for sure, if you make your grip bigger (and that's it), your racquet is heavier and more HL.

 

[Ripper]

Are the different grip sizes on most racquets engineered to come out to the same weight and balance?

The way I understand it, the answer is yes, for all current models. So, if you add anything to a 4 1/8 racquet, for example, you're going to be making it heavier than a 4 5/8 racquet of the same model.

Edit: Away from what the OP is asking, the exceptions are, in between others, some discontinued Yonex models. Those models are lighter (and less head light) the smaller the handle diameter is. Yonex claimed they did this, because people with smaller hands were suppossed to be less strong. Some people say that these racquets were "engineered" this way... but I have a different theory. I hope I can explain myself well enough here, but I believe these models started all exactly the same and that the only difference was the amount of material that was added to the handle to give them their final handle diameter. That would explain the difference in weight and balance. This would, also, make them easier to produce. I have a way of proving (or not) this theory, since I have Yonex RD-7 racquets in all sizes. So, like Terminator said, "I'll be back"