I just read this section on www.racquetresearch.com and thought it was worth sharing.
Enjoy.
Is a Lightweight Racquet a Good Idea?
No, a lightweight racquet is a dumb idea, as pro customizers attest. Weight is not bad. You need weight to return a "heavy" ball (lots of pace and spin). Wimpy racquets can't put much pace on the ball if you don't have time to develop a long stroke, such as when you are stretched wide. Pete Sampras uses a racquet that is 14 oz. and evenly balanced, and when he is going for a putaway, he chokes down so the swingweight is even higher. Andre Agassi uses one that is 13.2 ounces and 5/8 inch (5 points) head-light. Mark Philippoussis uses one that is 13.5 ounces and is 3/4 inch head light. Lest you think that these heroic sticks are as unwieldy as the sword of Goliath, remember that the lightest wood racquet was 13 ounces. Ladies and children used them.
Maybe, in the short space that you have to execute your stroke, you might swing the wimpy racquet a little faster -- but swing speed is not the key. Momentum, not energy, and not force, is what counts in a collision (Conservation of Momentum is the principle), and in computing momentum the racquet's mass is just as important as its velocity (momentum = mass times velocity). Readers with baseball experience know what happens when you try to hit a hardball home run with a softball (i.e. lightweight) bat. A softball bat cannot hit a hardball very far because it doesn't bring enough mass to the collision, and therefore its momentum on impact is low.
High Tip Speed is bad for accuracy because it is harder to time a violent swing precisely. Even if you succeed in increasing the Tip Speed enough to offset the racquet's lack of mass, the shot will be hard to place.
Aside from the foregoing performance considerations, there is the even more important question of safety. Light racquets are bad for tennis elbow.
Most racquet customers and their stringers know little, and care less, about the difference between weight, Moment, and swingweight. "Pick up appeal" (how light the frame is when you pick it up in the pro shop) is the predominant criterion (after cosmetics) for the ignorant. An epidemic of elbow and other arm injuries has been the result. Tennis is losing players at an alarming rate, and slowly declining in popularity. It's all because of the fundamental mistake of amateurs regarding racquet weight, a mistake that some racquet salesmen apparently have chosen to exploit for their short-term profit.
The touring pros know better. They add weight when they customize their racquets. A more massive (heavier) racquet will crush majestically through the ball instead of bouncing off, which makes it more comfortable on impact and more accurate. See the Official Rules of the ATP Tour regarding racquets. This little secret vexes the sponsors that pay them lots of money to pretend to play with granny sticks, so you won't hear much about it. See page 8 of the June 1996 issue of Stringer's Assistant (published by the US Racquet Stringer's Association) for some data on pro customized racquets.
Do the Rankings Change if the Game is Slower?
No. As the pace increases, the differences between racquets expand, but the rankings hold. For the Second and Fifth Benchmark Conditions (110 mph and 70 mph serve, respectively) the rankings are exactly the same, and likewise the rankings for the Third and Fourth Benchmark Conditions. The racquet that is better at Centre Court is also better at the country club.
One often hears the specious riposte: "Pro racquets are like race cars." Etc. The point being that the pro racquet must be therefore inappropriate for recreational play. A Ferrari is better than a Yugo, even in the slow lane, but you really notice the difference in the fast lane. And every player sometimes hits with pace, especially on serves and returns, which is when it's important to be holding the right racquet.
Enjoy.
Is a Lightweight Racquet a Good Idea?
No, a lightweight racquet is a dumb idea, as pro customizers attest. Weight is not bad. You need weight to return a "heavy" ball (lots of pace and spin). Wimpy racquets can't put much pace on the ball if you don't have time to develop a long stroke, such as when you are stretched wide. Pete Sampras uses a racquet that is 14 oz. and evenly balanced, and when he is going for a putaway, he chokes down so the swingweight is even higher. Andre Agassi uses one that is 13.2 ounces and 5/8 inch (5 points) head-light. Mark Philippoussis uses one that is 13.5 ounces and is 3/4 inch head light. Lest you think that these heroic sticks are as unwieldy as the sword of Goliath, remember that the lightest wood racquet was 13 ounces. Ladies and children used them.
Maybe, in the short space that you have to execute your stroke, you might swing the wimpy racquet a little faster -- but swing speed is not the key. Momentum, not energy, and not force, is what counts in a collision (Conservation of Momentum is the principle), and in computing momentum the racquet's mass is just as important as its velocity (momentum = mass times velocity). Readers with baseball experience know what happens when you try to hit a hardball home run with a softball (i.e. lightweight) bat. A softball bat cannot hit a hardball very far because it doesn't bring enough mass to the collision, and therefore its momentum on impact is low.
High Tip Speed is bad for accuracy because it is harder to time a violent swing precisely. Even if you succeed in increasing the Tip Speed enough to offset the racquet's lack of mass, the shot will be hard to place.
Aside from the foregoing performance considerations, there is the even more important question of safety. Light racquets are bad for tennis elbow.
Most racquet customers and their stringers know little, and care less, about the difference between weight, Moment, and swingweight. "Pick up appeal" (how light the frame is when you pick it up in the pro shop) is the predominant criterion (after cosmetics) for the ignorant. An epidemic of elbow and other arm injuries has been the result. Tennis is losing players at an alarming rate, and slowly declining in popularity. It's all because of the fundamental mistake of amateurs regarding racquet weight, a mistake that some racquet salesmen apparently have chosen to exploit for their short-term profit.
The touring pros know better. They add weight when they customize their racquets. A more massive (heavier) racquet will crush majestically through the ball instead of bouncing off, which makes it more comfortable on impact and more accurate. See the Official Rules of the ATP Tour regarding racquets. This little secret vexes the sponsors that pay them lots of money to pretend to play with granny sticks, so you won't hear much about it. See page 8 of the June 1996 issue of Stringer's Assistant (published by the US Racquet Stringer's Association) for some data on pro customized racquets.
Do the Rankings Change if the Game is Slower?
No. As the pace increases, the differences between racquets expand, but the rankings hold. For the Second and Fifth Benchmark Conditions (110 mph and 70 mph serve, respectively) the rankings are exactly the same, and likewise the rankings for the Third and Fourth Benchmark Conditions. The racquet that is better at Centre Court is also better at the country club.
One often hears the specious riposte: "Pro racquets are like race cars." Etc. The point being that the pro racquet must be therefore inappropriate for recreational play. A Ferrari is better than a Yugo, even in the slow lane, but you really notice the difference in the fast lane. And every player sometimes hits with pace, especially on serves and returns, which is when it's important to be holding the right racquet.
