Head light versus overall mass concerning tennis elbow

[emphyrio]

Learned a lot from this site. Wanted to give a bit back....

So for a while I was thinking I wanted more power on my serve. Obviously adding weight to the head of the racquet can increase power on the serve but it would make my head light racquet less head light and thus potentially make my nagging tennis elbow issue worse.

But this was mistaken thinking on my part and I've seen others also make this mistake. For example read an article where Nadal was adding weight at 12 o'clock to improve his serve and people were concerned it would cause injury issues.

Just wanted to point out that if you have two racquets of exactly the same weight and stiffness (and same strings, same tension) and one is headlight, the other head heavy, then ok, perhaps the head light racquet will be better in avoiding tennis elbow. But, the overall mass of the racquet is more important than head heavy/head light and adding mass anywhere to a racquet will reduce tennis elbow (and I assume shoulder issues also....) If you add an ounce or two to the hoop of a racquet turning it from very head light to head heavy, you will only make it easier on your elbow.

I, BTW, think just about everyone should be adding weight to their racquets. Very much including all the people who don't have injury issues. Would highly recommend people experiment with multiple layers of plain old duct tape around the hoop and just see what it does, especially on the serve. So many people are missing the boat on this... But that's another subject.

 

[Muppet]

Just wanted to point out that if you have two racquets of exactly the same weight and stiffness (and same strings, same tension) and one is headlight, the other head heavy, then ok, perhaps the head light racquet will be better in avoiding tennis elbow. But, the overall mass of the racquet is more important than head heavy/head light and adding mass anywhere to a racquet will reduce tennis elbow (and I assume shoulder issues also....) If you add an ounce or two to the hoop of a racquet turning it from very head light to head heavy, you will only make it easier on your elbow.

Try a gram or two (or four.) Ounces are a lot of weight in tennis racquet terms. And the balance is more sensitive to weight added to the upper hoop.

 

[fuzz nation]

Agree with Muppet concerning the importance of balance, but I also agree with you (emphyrio) in terms of the potential that can come with tuning. I've had great success with it in recent years, including with some Volkls I inherited last year. I was ready to find them a new home after initial trials, but then adding weight to both their hoops and handles gave me great results and these racquets have become keepers for me.

The more you read around here and perhaps also at TW Learning Center, the more you'll probably learn about swing weight. In your hypothetical with the two racquets that have the same weight, stiffness, etc., there's a potential problem with the different balances. Depending on the weight of these racquets, the option with the head-heavy balance could be completely un-playable if that static weight isn't especially light. It's swing weight could be unmanageable with too much weight in the hoop.

You'll notice among different brands and models that lighter frames are typically also built with less head-light balance. That concentrates more mass out in the hoop so that a relatively light frame can still command the ball. Put that more head-heavy balance into a 12+ oz. racquet though, and you'll have that example of a frame that literally feels like it's swinging under water.

Fortunately I seldom need to put weight on the hoops of my frames, just because I like heavy racquets. My Volkl C10's are heavy with lots of flex (they're especially arm-friendly) and even though they're designed with a good deal of HL balance, I have lead added to the handles of several of mine. They're heavy enough to be stable and powerful for me, but I like their maneuverability when their balance is upped to 11 pts. HL.

Adding weight to a racquet can often tune its performance in a good direction, but that also depends on the needs of the player. More stability through the hoop can be great for the arm if that added stability reduces the shock that goes into the arm. It can also give the racquet more ability to command the ball with the extra inertia at work. If the extra weight doesn't slow down the player's swing too much, that added weight can certainly increase the racquet's potential for power.

In my experience though, even a relatively "arm-friendly" racquet can become much harder on the arm when it's strung with harsh strings, especially snug poly. Some players are more susceptible to arm irritation than others, so this is an unpredictable issue from one player to the next.

Just some thoughts - it's a rainy day and my car's in the shop.

 

[mikeler]

I think the frame stiffness is more important than the weight.

 

[KYHacker]

Well, for avoiding tennis elbow, the three most important things are (in order):

1) Don't hit late. Hit out in front and use good footwork. Bad footwork and "hacking" slices = tennis elbow.

2) String bed stiffness. After technique, this is the primary contributor. Remember that a low-tensioned poly can actually be better for your arm than a high-tensioned multi or gut. In other words, overall stiffness matters, not the material.

3) Balls. Don't use dead balls. They are absolutely horrible for your arm.

4) Mass. In a battle for arm friendliness, mass wins.

5) Sweetspot location. Use a frame where you can hit the ball in the sweetspot the most often. Hitting outside the sweetspot is an armkiller.

 

[mikeler]

Well, for avoiding tennis elbow, the three most important things are (in order):

1) Don't hit late. Hit out in front and use good footwork. Bad footwork and "hacking" slices = tennis elbow.

2) String bed stiffness. After technique, this is the primary contributor. Remember that a low-tensioned poly can actually be better for your arm than a high-tensioned multi or gut. In other words, overall stiffness matters, not the material.

3) Balls. Don't use dead balls. They are absolutely horrible for your arm.

4) Mass. In a battle for arm friendliness, mass wins.

5) Sweetspot location. Use a frame where you can hit the ball in the sweetspot the most often. Hitting outside the sweetspot is an armkiller.

The key to #4 is finding enough mass for your elbow while not too much for your shoulder on serves.

 

[BlueB]

But, the overall mass of the racquet is more important than head heavy/head light and adding mass anywhere to a racquet will reduce tennis elbow (and I assume shoulder issues also....) If you add an ounce or two to the hoop of a racquet turning it from very head light to head heavy, you will only make it easier on your elbow.
...
I, BTW, think just about everyone should be adding weight to their racquets.

Ummm, no...

The key to #4 is finding enough mass for your elbow while not too much for your shoulder on serves.

Bingo! ^^^