Youtek rad mp-capping vs leading up

[EKnee08]

There have been some threads on capping the youtek rad. What is the advantage of capping vs lead tape? Would lead at 3 and 9 counterbalanced by the same amount of lead at the top of the handle have the same effect-make the stick more stable without changing the balance?

A second question is that some articles suggest placing less lead on the top of the handle than on the hoop (e.g. 3 grams each at 3 and 9 oclock with only 3 grams at the top of the handle as opposed to 6 grams at the top of the handle)-why?

 

[xFullCourtTenniSx]

There have been some threads on capping the youtek rad. What is the advantage of capping vs lead tape? Would lead at 3 and 9 counterbalanced by the same amount of lead at the top of the handle have the same effect-make the stick more stable without changing the balance?

A second question is that some articles suggest placing less lead on the top of the handle than on the hoop (e.g. 3 grams each at 3 and 9 oclock with only 3 grams at the top of the handle as opposed to 6 grams at the top of the handle)-why?

Capping increases stiffness as well from what I heard. I'm not so sure it increases stability. I'm not a head racket user though. Probably feels a bit more solid and firm. Also it protects the racket and looks cooler.

 

[EKnee08]

Capping increases stiffness as well from what I heard. I'm not so sure it increases stability. I'm not a head racket user though. Probably feels a bit more solid and firm. Also it protects the racket and looks cooler.

Thanks "XFull" and by the way I have enjoyed reading your posts.
Regarding your posts in other threads on lead tape placement and "depolarizing" in general, will the setup I described above work to some extent- Would you place 3 or 6 grams at the top of the handle , if placing 3 grams at 9 oclock and 3 grams at 3 oclock?

In either case, will I lose a bit of racquet head speed on the serve?

Thanks!

 

[downs_chris]

Thanks "XFull" and by the way I have enjoyed reading your posts.
Regarding your posts in other threads on lead tape placement and "depolarizing" in general, will the setup I described above work to some extent- Would you place 3 or 6 grams at the top of the handle , if placing 3 grams at 9 oclock and 3 grams at 3 oclock?

In either case, will I lose a bit of racquet head speed on the serve?

Thanks!

my YT Radical MP is around 370 grams (strung with an overgrip), but still swings fairly light (not sure the exact balance) -- so I think if you're racquet was setup accordingly, you should be able to generate some good racquet head speed for your serve...i just really LOVE how solid and stable mine is...that's why i'm getting 3 more with the same setup

 

[psp2]

IME, capping MG/YT/Ti/i.Radical frames gets you very close to the feel of the respective Prestige MP frames WHILE maintaining the flex of the Radicals.

You gain plow through by upping the SW by using CAPs. I would also recommend adding some weight in the handle to counter balance the extra weight of the CAPs to maintain a HL balance.

 

[Jinx]

The difference between regular grommet and cap grommets are about 10-15 grams... I put in about 20 grams of lead in the handle to counter balance it... my racquet feels like it doesn't twist as much gainst big hitters anymore and feels much more solid with a lot of plow due to the increase in static and swing weight...

 

[Richie Rich]

another plus of CAPS is that you get better protection for your racquet paint :lol:

 

[xFullCourtTenniSx]

Thanks "XFull" and by the way I have enjoyed reading your posts.
Regarding your posts in other threads on lead tape placement and "depolarizing" in general, will the setup I described above work to some extent- Would you place 3 or 6 grams at the top of the handle , if placing 3 grams at 9 oclock and 3 grams at 3 oclock?

In either case, will I lose a bit of racquet head speed on the serve?

Thanks!

Well... For the amount of lead needed, it depends on the player. For a Radical, I would suggest a little more lead on the handle, simply because it's pretty close to even balance to start with. So I might actually place 9 grams up on the head and 12-15 grams on the handle because a Radical is a rather light racket to start with and I don't like the balance too much. For my personal preference, I like the mid 12 ounce range with a roughly 7 points headlight balance... But that's just me. I think you should start out trying 6 grams on the handle, then proceed with the 3 grams at 3&9 and add weight if you feel you need more stability.

And in either case, you should expect to lose a bit of racket head speed. However, it's more of a exponential effect, so you won't notice it too much until you get close to your weight limit. So until then, you'll gain far more than you lose. The serve will be heavier and you'll probably even gain more pace and control. The smoother your form is though, the less you'll notice the drop in speed as well, and the greater the increase in pace.