How can I make my 03 tour more headlight??

[basil J]

I have been happily using my 03 tour's now since August and the only thing complaint I have is that they are more evenly balanced than I would like. I miss the headlight feel of my old HPS6.1 and my old 200GMW, especially when serving. Does the 03 tour butt cap come off? I have placed 3"strips of lead tape at 3:0 & 9:00 on the hoop and replaced the grip with a babolat leather grip, but the racquet is still very close to being balanced, only slightly headlight. I would like to add weight in the handle and get the racquet closer to balance of the HPS6.1 which I believe is around 11pts. headlight?
Any suggestions guys??

 

[Basicsys]

Why do you place lead at 3 and 9 if you want to make it more HEADLIGHT ?

 

[cadfael_tex]

Why do you place lead at 3 and 9 if you want to make it more HEADLIGHT ?

Expand the sweetspot and deliver slight more 'plow through' factor on impact. I'd also like to know the answer to this by the way.

 

[nViATi]

Take off the buttcap and add lead inside there.

 

[AndrewD]

basil J,

At the moment the weight of the leather grip is being offset by the weight of the lead tape so you're only getting a slight increase. If you want the tape at 3 and 9 for stability then you'll have to counter with weight below the head. If the 03 Tour doesn't have a trap-door in the butt cap (I cant remember) you can always buy a replacement cap with trap-door or just slide an equal amount under the leather grip.

Of course, if you're adding weight you're also increasing the swingweight and shifting the sweetspot. Might be best to work out what balance between the two you want before customising further.

 

[basil J]

I know, I know, why add tape on the head if I want it more headlight?? But I am coming from thicker, stiffer frames and the tour in stock form was a little to whippy for me. The lead tape gives it the plow through and stability I wanted. I don't mind a heavier racquet, as long as the balance stays headlight. My older frames were both over 12.5 oz and the tour is below 12 strung, so I have a little wiggle room. I will see if the butt cap opens or not. Otherwise I will try some weight under the grip.

 

[John Zheng]

I know, I know, why add tape on the head if I want it more headlight?? But I am coming from thicker, stiffer frames and the tour in stock form was a little to whippy for me. The lead tape gives it the plow through and stability I wanted. I don't mind a heavier racquet, as long as the balance stays headlight. My older frames were both over 12.5 oz and the tour is below 12 strung, so I have a little wiggle room. I will see if the butt cap opens or not. Otherwise I will try some weight under the grip.

Try coins inside the buttcap, avoid lead poisoning

 

[armand]

Of course, if you're adding weight you're also increasing the swingweight and shifting the sweetspot. Might be best to work out what balance between the two you want before customising further.

Shifting the sweetspot? 'Stretching' the sweetspot would be the accurate term, yeah?

 

[AndrewD]

Shifting the sweetspot? 'Stretching' the sweetspot would be the accurate term, yeah?

If you have a look at somewhere like TW's 'Learning Centre' they describe it in the same fashion but a lot more effectively than I did LOL. Gist of it is that the sweetspot moves towards the area you're applying weight. Lowering tension does, I think, stretch the sweetspot rather than shift it. Get one of the pro stringers in here to clear it up but I think, if tension remains the same and weight is added, the centre of percussion shifts towards the weight. So, the sweetspot moves.

basil J,
Sounds like you've got quite a lot of 'wiggle room'. If you think the racquet needs torsional stability then Id keep the weight at 3 and 9 o'clock but then Id be putting double in the handle. How much to put just depends on what feels good for you. Are you using 1/4 or 1/2 inch strips of lead tape?

 

[legolas]

the o3 already has increased sweetspot, lol, u need more?

 

[El Diablo]

You point out that you want the racquet to be more headlight, then add that it is too whippy, a trait usually seen in very headlight racquets. You make very little sense and sound like someone who has yet to come to grips with the fact that he bought the wrong racquet.

 

[tennissavy]

The butt cap does not have a trap door. Add lead tape under the grip, the entire length of the handle, to make the balance more head light. I added weight to the head to help my serve and added lead tape to the grip to keep it balanced head light.

 

[Midlife crisis]

If you have a look at somewhere like TW's 'Learning Centre' they describe it in the same fashion but a lot more effectively than I did LOL. Gist of it is that the sweetspot moves towards the area you're applying weight. Lowering tension does, I think, stretch the sweetspot rather than shift it. Get one of the pro stringers in here to clear it up but I think, if tension remains the same and weight is added, the centre of percussion shifts towards the weight. So, the sweetspot moves.

The center of percussion and the sweetspot don't really have a defined physical relationship. It is just that over years of evolution and design, the sweetspot, which is a vibrational node, and the center of percussion which is the location of impact where the forward speed decrease of the handle is offset by a forward speed increase due to rotation around the center of mass, happen to be in about the same spot. Weighting a racket wrong can cause these two to diverge somewhat, and some poorly designed frames are divergent already, and these have the reputation of playing poorly.

 

[basil J]

Due to the fact that the 03 tour is a much thinner beamed racquet, than say the Wilson HPS 6.1, It feels that there is less mass in the hopp, thus leading to my description of "whippy". I never said I did not like this racquet, I just said that I would like to shift the balance to more headlight, If i can. If not, Fine, I still enjoy this racquet very much and will use spins more and work on beefing up my first serve to get it to where it was with my other sticks. I am not the first person who mentioned that this racquet is a bit weak on serves for a "players racquet". I make perfect sense, and am not confused, merely playing around with customization.

 

[Basicsys]

If you want to make it less headlight then add more lead in the top.
This will give you more power on the serve (and every other shot)
Adding lead in the handle makes the racket more headlight.

 

[pham4313]

Is the butt cap on O3 tour openable for lead insertion? That would be a plus since you might not want to increase the grip size with lead placed on the handle (or underneath the overgrip)

 

[basil J]

I don't see a way to open it up. I will ask my local rep next time I I see him.

 

[coach]

you might not want to increase the grip size with lead placed on the handle (or underneath the overgrip)

putting lead tape pretty much doesn't do anything to the grip size, unless you put literally like an ounce of it, and wrap it and wrap it, etc. It's quite thin. I have used the O3 myself for the last two weeks. With these major O ports it's not even easy to put lead tape at 3 and 9, less surface area, maybe even need to cut the 1/4" tape in half.

 

[basil J]

Ok, I had my stringer weigh and check the balance between my HPS6.1 and my 03 tour. To My surpise the HPS 6.1 was 12.2 oz strung and 11 PTs headlight, the 03 tour was 12oz strung and 9 pts. headlight. To my surpise, there was not a whole lot of difference betwwen the two. My stringer, who also sells gear feels that the difference I am feeling between the racquets is the softer flex of the 03 tour vs the slightly stiffer flex & thicker beamed prostaff. 19mm vs 21mm in thickness will make a big difference in serving and in feel. I don't know the stiffness specs, but the tour is certainly more flexible.
I certainly love the 03 tour off of the ground and he had said that a flexible frame will give you more feel and spin than a stiffer frame.