corners -
(continuing the discussion regarding diy caliper technique for measuring thickness)
The guy who is known for being the best grip guy on the planet is Nate Ferguson of Priority One. See
this link here for TW article on Nate's gripping technique.
Some tall tales here too. He asks his players to provide him with a racquet that is their favorite, in terms of feel, he then he recreates that grip layer by layer. First with a custom pallet that matches the favorite grip. If the favorite grip has some random asymmetrical flaw, then his copies will as well. My hunch is that he is taking caliper measurements to check his accuracy at each stage, first the bare pallet, then with the grip and OG on the frame. Its the same sort of approach we see with custom tuning of racquets, that is to say, tuning to arrive at a specific, repeatable aim point.
[..]
Quote : "When customizing a racquet, Ferguson asks a player for a racquet with their favorite handle and grip. He then replicates that handle, layer by layer, for every racquet. Ferguson will completely disassemble the factory handle and replace it with a custom made handle.
"If the player's favorite handle has an imperfection in it, say a slight indent or bump in the foam or palate, then each handle will have that same imperfection. Everything about the favorite handle is replicated."
Not only will Ferguson custom fit the handle size for his customer, he will also change the shape if required. If a player likes a more rounded grip, but the factory handle for his racquet has a rectangular shape, Ferguson will create a new handle with the preferred shape. Such customization can greatly help players when switching from one racquet brand to another.
After Ferguson dismantles the grip and handle, taking measurements and notes on each step, he replaces it from one made from his newly created mold. The new handles are made from stronger, heavier foam than most factory handles. Ferguson chooses stronger foam for improved longevity. To hold everything together, Ferguson uses special glue. Any extra weight created by this process is not an issue, as most pros use a heavier than standard racquet. As each step of the customization is carried out, the process is recorded in a book for future reference so the exact handle and grip feel can be replicated for as long as the player desires. "
-- Making Racquet Customization a Priority, Tennis Warehouse,
Link Here
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What I'm getting around to suggesting is that, if we
really wanted to nail down the topic of grip thickness once and for all, like no kidding ... I think you'd need three digits. 1. Uninstalled first touch 2. Compression 3. Installed thickness. That would be no easy undertaking, but that would be the way to do it. By comparing the first touch to compression digits, you'd have a way of describing comfort and firmness mathematically. From the installed thickness, you'd have some sense of how the variable of material stretch comes into play, and could figure out grip size changes as well.
Jack
