Leather grip lead tape compensation balance point

C

Chadillac

Guest
I have a racket that feels amazing with a synthetic grip that weighs 9.5 grams, i prefer the leathers feel, its weighing in at 28g's (head tour leather). The actual weight difference is 19.5 grams, but the placement of the lead will affect the balance point.

I was thinking about trying 10g from 11 to 1.

Does anyone have a basic conversion method for a syn to leather balance wise?

Thanks
 

Christian Olsson

Professional
When i weighted the handle of my radical tour with 17 g just for fun (coins at the cap with double sided tape) the balance really came alive. Try the leather first without counter balance lead. There's tons of lead threads on TT and some methods actually enlarges sweet spot (3+9) if that's what you want. On the weight issue, I'm not yet qualified to answer that one. But other guys here that really have the knowledge.
 

ARKustom93

Professional
If you can deal with a reduction in grip size, Kimony makes a leather grip that's about the same weight(9g) as your synthetic, but only .9mm thick so you'd be able to go leather without the hassle of re-balancing your frame, but more importantly, not adding a sh=tload of polarized weight. Your approach would turn that stick into a whole different animal ...
 

Irvin

Talk Tennis Guru
What are you trying to do
I have a racket that feels amazing with a synthetic grip that weighs 9.5 grams, i prefer the leathers feel, its weighing in at 28g's (head tour leather). The actual weight difference is 19.5 grams, but the placement of the lead will affect the balance point.

I was thinking about trying 10g from 11 to 1.

Does anyone have a basic conversion method for a syn to leather balance wise?

Thanks
The placement of lead (10 g) will affect the balance point? I guess you think the added weight of 19.5 g doesn't affect the balance. What it is you think you're trying to do other than get a leather feel?

EDIT: The more important specs that affect you swing are SW and TW and you're going to change both of them to get the balance you have. Try just changing the grip and see what you think. It will have minimal affect on TW and SW.
 
C

Chadillac

Guest
Its an ultra xp 100s. I put a leather on one of them but my balls are landing shorter with it compared the syn grips (same string and tension, frames are identical). Lacks plow through, but the grip itself has a better feel.

Ark, i already picked up 6 head leathers (fav leather since fairway and got a good price).

My confusion is that part of the additional weight from the leather is above where i grip the racket.

Thanks
 

FranzS

Semi-Pro
Use the Weighted Mean formula. Assuming that:
- W1 is the weight of your racquet (w/ syn grip) and BP1 its balance point (from the buttcap);
- W2 is the difference in weight b/w the leather and syn grips and BP2 the position of the grip's center-of-mass (always from the buttcap, so it will be something like 7 to 9 cm? just measure how far from the buttcap is the middle of the grip);
- W3 is the weight of the lead tape to be added and BP3 its center-of-mass (same concept as for the grip above)

You have to decide where to put the lead tape. General recommendations are 9 & 3 for increased stability and power, from 11 to 1 for increased power and to move the sweetspot higher in the stringbed, etc.
Now, reversing the Weighted Mean formula (see below), you can find out W3 (how much lead tape weight you need).

Formula:
Final BP of the racquet (you decide it) = (W1*BP1 + W2*BP2 + W3*BP3) / (W1 + W2 + W3)
Solve it to find W3!


EDIT: I had some time so I did it for you

W3 = [BP*(W1+W2)-W1*BP1-W2*BP2] / (BP3-BP)
Put the data in an excel sheet and you're done.

NOTE: this method is for calculating the "absolute" balance point of the racquet and does not take into account the actual pivot point, which depends on your hand position on the grip!
 
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C

Chadillac

Guest
Use the Weighted Mean formula. Assuming that:
- W1 is the weight of your racquet (w/ syn grip) and BP1 its balance point (from the buttcap);
- W2 is the difference in weight b/w the leather and syn grips and BP2 the position of the grip's center-of-mass (always from the buttcap, so it will be something like 7 to 9 cm? just measure how far from the buttcap is the middle of the grip);
- W3 is the weight of the lead tape to be added and BP3 its center-of-mass (same concept as for the grip above)

You have to decide where to put the lead tape. General recommendations are 9 & 3 for increased stability and power, from 11 to 1 for increased power and to move the sweetspot higher in the stringbed, etc.
Now, reversing the Weighted Mean formula (see below), you can find out W3 (how much lead tape weight you need).

Formula:
Final BP of the racquet (you decide it) = (W1*BP1 + W2*BP2 + W3*BP3) / (W1 + W2 + W3)
Solve it to find W3!


EDIT: I had some time so I did it for you

W3 = [BP*(W1+W2)-W1*BP1-W2*BP2] / (BP3-BP)
Put the data in an excel sheet and you're done.

NOTE: this method is for calculating the "absolute" balance point of the racquet and does not take into account the actual pivot point, which depends on your hand position on the grip!

Thanks a ton
 

Ozellman

Rookie
I have a racket that feels amazing with a synthetic grip that weighs 9.5 grams, i prefer the leathers feel, its weighing in at 28g's (head tour leather). The actual weight difference is 19.5 grams, but the placement of the lead will affect the balance point.

I was thinking about trying 10g from 11 to 1.

Does anyone have a basic conversion method for a syn to leather balance wise?

Thanks
If you want the leather feel without the added weight I'd suggest that you try the Babolat skin feel replacement grip. It thin so it gives the same kind firm feel where the bevels are really easy to feel, at least if you use an overgrip which I always do.
 

Anton

Legend
I have a racket that feels amazing with a synthetic grip that weighs 9.5 grams, i prefer the leathers feel, its weighing in at 28g's (head tour leather). The actual weight difference is 19.5 grams, but the placement of the lead will affect the balance point.

I was thinking about trying 10g from 11 to 1.

Does anyone have a basic conversion method for a syn to leather balance wise?

Thanks

There is no conversion. You put the leather on, see how it plays. Feel like the head needs more mass? You add some and see where you are at.
 

ChicagoJack

Hall of Fame
1. Calculating balance points, and also its relationship to mass and swingweight precisely is pretty basic. Nothing wrong with "going out there and seeing what it feels like" then adjusting intuitively, but that approach is not going to be workable for anybody doing customization professionally, and certainly will not work when the task at hand is to match 12 frames to the nearest 1/2 gram.

2. If you have increased weight in the handle end by swapping grips, then you need to add more mass north of the balance point to maintain balance. How much you add, and where, will also affect swingweight, recoilweight and twistweight. All of that can be calculated in advance fairly accurately as well.

This will tool/worksheet will calculate the affect of placing lead in up to five locations.
http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/customizationReverse.php

This is a bit simpler method. Might work if you have specific aim point in mind.
http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/customization.php

This conversion cheat sheet will be helpful with using the two links above.

Metric Equivalent To Balance Points For A 27" Racquet:
34.30cm = 0 Even Balance
33.98cm = 1 Points Head Light
33.66cm = 2 Points Head Light
33.35cm = 3 Points Head Light
33.03cm = 4 Points Head Light
32.71cm = 5 Points Head Light
32.39cm = 6 Points Head Light
32.08cm = 7 Points Head Light
31.76cm = 8 Points Head Light
31.44cm = 9 Points Head Light
31.12cm = 10 Points Head Light
30.81cm = 11 Points Head Light
30.49cm = 12 Points Head Light

And my thread on grip specs might be useful
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/inde...pecs-weight-thickness-into-one-thread.465717/

Good luck :)

-J
 
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