Not all tennis rackets are the same. In addition to the racket model and the string, the swing weight and the dynamics of the game play an important role.
Racket tuning allows you to change the weight distribution of your tennis racket to adapt its performance and playability to your individual needs. In most cases, lead weights are placed in strategic positions on the racket. The weight distribution not only influences stability, control, position of the sweet spot, ergonomics or power, but also maneuverability and defines how much power and spin you can generate with the racket.
The lead weights are usually easy to remove. This gives you the opportunity to play around until you find the perfect weight for your racket. To adapt your racket to another racket, you should first find out about the characteristics of both rackets and determine the differences in weight.
Note: If you would like to customize your racquet, our experts at the Tennis-Point store will be happy to help you with tips and tricks.
Which type of racket tuning leads to which effect?
When it comes to attaching additional weights to the club head, one normally refers to the points on the club analogous to the face of a clock. Thus, 12 o'clock indicates the tip, 6 o'clock would be at the bridge, etc.
Attaching a lead band at 6 o'clock increases the weight and has only a minor effect on the balance of the club.
To increase the swing weight and acceleration without sacrificing stability, weights are attached at 2 and 10 o'clock.
An increase in swing weight and therefore more acceleration is achieved when the lead strap is positioned at 12 o'clock. This also makes the club more top-heavy.
If the ball is not hit exactly in the sweet spot, but close to the frame, the racket twists - it is also said to “flutter”. Attaching lead strips at 6 and 9 o'clock can increase torsional stability and reduce flutter.
Small lead weights are attached to the inside of the handle to make the racket easier to grip. To do this, the club cap is removed and possibly some filling material is taken out. The weight is placed in the resulting cavity. The lead weight should be fixed in place with the filling material or some absorbent cotton so that it does not make any noise when playing. Alternatively, a thin lead tape can be glued under the basic grip tape, but this can increase the grip strength.
To change the balance point, you can attach additional weight below or above the balance point. Additional weight in the racket head makes the racket more top-heavy, the swing weight and acceleration are increased. If a weight is placed below the balance point, the racquet becomes more handle-heavy. This increases control and maneuverability.
The further away the weight is from the balance point, the more pronounced the effect.
If you want to enlarge the sweet spot of your club, weights are added at 3 and 9 o'clock. This extends the sweet spot outwards in the direction of the additional weights.
To increase the overall weight of the racket without changing the balance, a lead band should be attached to the inside of the racket neck. This can be cut into strips and attached on top of or next to each other. This will maintain the balance point on most clubs while increasing the overall mass of the club with only a slight increase in swing weight.
