Dilemma: Upsetting the factory specs and engineering of a frame.

[louis netman]

I have a problem. I can't play with stock frames. The first thing I have to alter is the buttcap. I like a big butt so I wind medical adhesive tape around the back end of the butt, then cover tightly with electrical tape, typically adding 6 to 8 grams of weight in the process. I also love leather. I love the way it feels, the way it smells and the extra weight it adds to the handle, approx 15-18 g. Add Super Grap (6g) and by the time I'm through, I've got an extra 27-32 grams (over one ounce) of weight at the handle end of the frame, making it extremely headlight and disturbing the finely engineered weight and balance of the frame. If I counterweight the frame, that means adding over an ounce of mass to the upper third of the hoop. This would make many heavier, preferred frames unmanageable for me in terms of maneuverability. In these cases, I have only partially counterweighted, leaving me, for example, C10 Pros that are 375 g, and 14-15pts HL, theoretically resulting in a heavy (slower) swinging racket with less mass in the head than intended to transmit needed energy to the ball. I have since resorted to using only 2 layers of overgrip in place of the regular grip to keep things manageable, still off specs (362g, 12pts HL) however, I miss my leather. I'm now thinking of acquiring much lighter, less head-heavy frames so that after adding all this weight to the handle, I can counterweight to restore the original balance of the frame and still have a manageable swingweight. My only reservation is the fact that I may be building a rocket launcher in the process because today's lighter frames tend to be stiffer and more powerful. Further, it will add yet another dimension to the mix, which has been an ongoing dilemma: arm friendliness/comfort.

Any thoughts, opinions and suggestions are very much appreciated.
BTW, anyone have any Volkl C8 Pros?

 

[PrestigeClassic]

You mean less lead-light, right? Some Web site mentioned here added a lot of lead fish into the handle only of a Wilson Hammer 6.2.

 

[NoBadMojo]

Louis I had several C8's, just looked, and they're all gone. I agree with you, that was one frame you could really customize. Problem with going lighter is that you go stiffer at the same time and lose the feel of flexy thin beamed you seem to enjoy. I like headlight, but you reach a point where too headlight teeters you over the playability edge and the T10's I have are the only frames I could take weight out of the head, add leather, and still have it not be too headlight for me.
The options I can think of for you are to source out the 295 gram DNX10 but thats aleady pretty headlight, see if anyone has c8's, and also there was a ProStaff made for a year or two that was a bit like the C8. Light, pretty evenly balanced, thin beamed and flexy..cant rem the model but it was green with orange as i recall..maybe a Wilson maven will remember. Like the C8 it was a lot of fun to play..it was easy to take big cuts at the ball, yet still maintan control because the power level was low.
Problem with the older C8's is they fatigued pretty quickly. The latest ones with the newer graphics and hologram stickers didnt seem to have that problem

 

[slice bh compliment]

I have a problem. ...I like a big butt ....

an' I cannot lie.
Other brothas can't deny.

It's allright, louis. This is easy to find. There are lots of beautiful girls who can accomodate you.

No, seriously, what size grip do you use?
If you use a 3 or a 4, get a size 5 or 6 buttcap from Volkl. You can put something firmer under the buttcap staples. Maybe lead tape or a resin.

Re: adding mass to a frame. I did the same thing you do to my C10s, and now to my Tour 10s (except I do not share your big butt fetish...at least not on tennis equipment). Do not be afraid of a little extra mass. Man, as long as the frame feels great, moves well through the air and all of your frames match, who cares about numbers? Most racquets are way too light anyway. The manufacturers get the pickup weight down, sell more units, and figure that the people who want more weight will simply add it.
Anyway, if you want something that is lighter off the shelf than a C 10 Pro, take NoBadMojo's advice pick up a DNX 10 LITE next time you or some friends are in Europe. 295g, huh? You'll probably want to lead that up anyway (in addition to the Sir Mix a Lot treatment). Maybe you can try the Tour 9 series, a regular ol' American DNX 10 or even the DNX 8 with a bunch of lead.

Oh, you know some other companies make sort of light, thinnish, somewhat flexible sticks that beg for some lead in the right places. They're not going to have that magical Volkl feel but they are allright. The HEAD flexpoint radical, radical Tour and radical team. Dunlop's Mfil300, Babolat's Pure Storm. I felt the Wilson Pro Staff n-six-one 95 is on the light side as well.

 

[NoBadMojo]

. I like a big butt

I likes me a big butted woman....i likes a woman wid da meat shaken on da bone..i likes me a woman sooooo big, that when she backs up she goes....beeep beeep beep beep...
-Gitlo Blues Band