Does weight or SW make a racquet "heavier"

[BC1]

Over the course of a long match, which racquet will be more demanding (harder to swing/heavier) - racquet A or B?

A) Weight 11.9, balance 7 pts headlight, SW 318 (Prestige MP)

B) Weight 11.1, balance 2 pts headlight, SW 324 (Radical MP)

So, I'm wondering if the more even balance and higher swingweight of B would make it feel like the heavier racquet over the course of a match, even though it actually weighs less?

 

[stufflebean]

Hrmm. I should know this by now. I think from my experience, SW makes it heavier to a point. I had a hard time with the Radical Pro compared to the Speed MP, and the Radical has a higher SW but a lower static weight. However, I think beyond a certain point, static weight is a contributing factor too, since nothing in my last round was up in the SW of the Radical, but I was still feeling the weight of them. Maybe I'll have to reevaluate this after I compare the EXO3 Graphite 100 (11.6 oz, 334 SW) to the KBlade Tour (11.8 oz, 323 SW).

 

[bad_call]

depends on what one is used to, how one plays and the opponents. if u want more specifics then post the above for more comments.

 

[BC1]

Hrmm. I should know this by now. I think from my experience, SW makes it heavier to a point. I had a hard time with the Radical Pro compared to the Speed MP, and the Radical has a higher SW but a lower static weight. However, I think beyond a certain point, static weight is a contributing factor too, since nothing in my last round was up in the SW of the Radical, but I was still feeling the weight of them. Maybe I'll have to reevaluate this after I compare the EXO3 Graphite 100 (11.6 oz, 334 SW) to the KBlade Tour (11.8 oz, 323 SW).

Yes - I would agree. The reason I asked the question, is when demoing, sometimes you don't have the opportunity to play a long match against a tough opponent. And the "light" racquet with the high SW can be easy to swing initially - and that can be very deceiving.

 

[BC1]

depends on what one is used to, how one plays and the opponents. if u want more specifics then post the above for more comments.

Makes sense. Thanks

I look forward to other comments.

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

Swingweight is the racquet's resistance to being moved along a circular path. It's hard to imagine what else your phrase "harder to swing" could mean. Your perception of the racquet's weight will change when you change the balance, but a given swingweight tends to feel like itself, no matter the other specs.

That's a performance-related answer. If you're more concerned with getting tired over the course of a long match, that will depend on a lot of factors (and stuff like how you hit and even how you hold the racquet between shots and between points will make a bigger difference than racquet specs), and at any rate the more you play with any racquet–even if you play badly!–the less of a concern that'll be.

 

[BC1]

Swingweight is the racquet's resistance to being moved along a circular path. It's hard to imagine what else your phrase "harder to swing" could mean. Your perception of the racquet's weight will change when you change the balance, but a given swingweight tends to feel like itself, no matter the other specs.

That's a performance-related answer. If you're more concerned with getting tired over the course of a long match, that will depend on a lot of factors (and stuff like how you hit and even how you hold the racquet between shots and between points will make a bigger difference than racquet specs), and at any rate more you play with any racquet–even if you play badly!–the of a concern that'll be.

Thanks - all of these replies have helped, I think. I'm not sure how clear I was either in my original post. I guess to simplify it, I could just ask, "Would Racquet A or B be more of a workout for your arm over the course of a long match?" From what I've gathered... there's not a clear cut answer. It all depends on how how you play. It's not really a concern of mine, I'm just curious more then anything else of how the radical compares to the prestige. I play with the radical, so I got a grasp on that, but I've never played a whole match with the prestige. But this question could be applied to any two racquets.

 

[EDK]

BC1,

Re: Radical vs. Prestige, you may need to try both out to see which one fits more. Numbers can betray your own personal perception, plus you might find a difference in feel or something else which could be more important to you.

FWIW on my 2 main racquets with their current stringjobs:

PT280 @ 345g / 31.1 balance / SW327
PB10Mid @ 350g / 31.4 balance / SW327
(SW is what was originally advertised. Not sure the actual now)

Despite the numbers the PT280 is more tiring to wield over 2 sets or more. The PB10Mid swings lighter and leaves me with far more energy in end. Frame aerodynamics has a lot to do with it.

 

[BC1]

BC1,

Re: Radical vs. Prestige, you may need to try both out to see which one fits more. Numbers can betray your own personal perception, plus you might find a difference in feel or something else which could be more important to you.

FWIW on my 2 main racquets with their current stringjobs:

PT280 @ 345g / 31.1 balance / SW327
PB10Mid @ 350g / 31.4 balance / SW327
(SW is what was originally advertised. Not sure the actual now)

Despite the numbers the PT280 is more tiring to wield over 2 sets or more. The PB10Mid swings lighter and leaves me with far more energy in end. Frame aerodynamics has a lot to do with it.

Thanks - good advice - as always a proper demo is the only way to know for sure.

 

[fuzz nation]

I appreciate your question, too.

In my experience, the problem is that even if you know how heavy a racquet feels when you swing it around, you don't know what sort of response it has when it hits a ball. Not until you take it out and play with it. If the frame that's easier to swing (the one with the lower SW) is also relatively dead, it's going to require a lot of extra "umph" to make the same zip on the ball.

I actually used to own both the LM Radical and LM Prestige in midplus layout and learned a lesson about all this as a result. The lighter Radical seemed to have nice feel, but it had less inertia (along with some flex) so I had to swing reeeeally hard to make a lot of power with it. I could swing the Prestige with the same tempo and it gave me better pop on the ball without excessive effort. For me, the racquet here that was a little tougher to swing around was effectively easier to play with.

 

[Donny0627]

swingweight is in simple terms a combo of weight and balance.

It keeps you from wondering, which will "feel" heavier,
A: 12oz, 7pts HL
B: 11.7oz, 5pts HL

...

 

[BC1]

swingweight is in simple terms a combo of weight and balance.

It keeps you from wondering, which will "feel" heavier,
A: 12oz, 7pts HL
B: 11.7oz, 5pts HL

...

Donny,
Ok. So, simply the one with the higher SW should feel heavier regardless of the static weight? If that is correct, then that means the Radical MP will feel heavier then the Prestige MP.

I'm not sure what your specs (A) and (B) above are for?
Thanks

 

[BC1]

I appreciate your question, too.

In my experience, the problem is that even if you know how heavy a racquet feels when you swing it around, you don't know what sort of response it has when it hits a ball. Not until you take it out and play with it. If the frame that's easier to swing (the one with the lower SW) is also relatively dead, it's going to require a lot of extra "umph" to make the same zip on the ball.

I actually used to own both the LM Radical and LM Prestige in midplus layout and learned a lesson about all this as a result. The lighter Radical seemed to have nice feel, but it had less inertia (along with some flex) so I had to swing reeeeally hard to make a lot of power with it. I could swing the Prestige with the same tempo and it gave me better pop on the ball without excessive effort. For me, the racquet here that was a little tougher to swing around was effectively easier to play with.

FuzzNation, Thanks for the insight. Your real life experience with the two racquets helps.

 

[fuzz nation]

Happy to throw a log on the fire when I actually have some halfway relevant experience, but I also need to note that I've always enjoyed somewhat hefty, head-light racquets. That Radical has been a great fit for a lot of players out there and I've recommended a try with it for some of our pals here on several occasions.

The truth is in the test drive - all those specs only tell part of the story. While they might point you toward a potentially good frame for you, there's no knowing just how good the fit will be until you handle it on the courts and try to produce your shots with it.

I'd also encourage you to not be scared away from a demo just because the listed SW might seem a bit high for you. If you have a real curiosity with a certain racquet, hey, knowledge is power, right? Get your hands on it if you can and see how it works out. I've been more than mildly mislead by the listed SW on a racquet on more than one occasion.

 

[BC1]

fuzznation, yes you're right. Specs can be very misleading. The SW of both of these Heads are within my comfort range, so that's not so much of a conern. I'm just having a hell of a time deciding between the Radical, prestige, or speed. I know I need to just spend time on the court with each, but I would like to make a decision NOW. Have you are anyone else played with both the Mg Radical and the Youtek Radical? I would like to know if there is a noticeable difference. I'm liking the MG Radical but would be willing to "upgrade" if it's worth it with one of these other sticks.

 

[fuzz nation]

Can't say I've had a go with any of those newer lines of the Radical, but you ought to be able to find some input or even dig up a comparison here somewhere I'll bet.

A lot of importance has been placed on swing weight over all other spec's, but since that one figure tells me very little about how a racquet will behave, I rely on a couple of others. The three numbers that give me the most info on a racquet are static weight, balance, and flex. I'd recommend that you get to know what you prefer in your gear in terms of these three spec's and it ought to be easier for you to qualify different racquets that might be a better fit for you. Especially when you're on the hunt for demos.