Frequently asked questions about racket customization
Why does my racket need to be customized?
Tennis rackets are often subject to manufacturing-related deviations. This can be as much as 20 grams for two identical racket models. If one wants to add the weight that is missing on the lighter racket, the question arises where the extra weight should be attached. To determine these positions, the specifications of the rackets must be measured. Here concepts such as weight, balance, swing weight and turning weight play an important role. In addition, concepts such as the polarization, recoil weight or MGR/I are relevant to performance. The tool we use is comprehensive and convenient to accurately adjust tennis and padel rackets. It offers the advantage of being able to calculate and, if necessary, modify the properties that change by adding weight. Perfect for matching rackets or tuning them to optimize your performance.
What is static weight?
If you place a racket on a scale, you measure the weight of a tennis racket. During a tennis stroke, the weight of a racket plays a rather small role, as it does not indicate how the mass of the racket is distributed. The typical weight of a tennis racket is between 290-325 grams for professional rackets. The static weight is the basic weight when you weigh it with strings.
What is swing weight?
The swing weight is probably the most famous moment of inertia in tennis. It is measured 100 mm from the grip end of the racket. This point is also called the pivot point. The higher the swing weight, the harder the racket is to swing. The higher the swing weight, the more power is transferred to the struck ball. It is therefore important to know your personal maximum playable swing weight, which on the one hand does not negatively affect your swing, and on the other hand allows you to get maximum power out of your shots. Any weight attached outside the pivot point will increase the swing weight. The further away the weight is from the pivot point, the greater the effect. A typical swing weight for tournament rackets is between 270-310 kg*cm².
What is balance?
Balance is the static determination of the weight distribution of a racket. It is measured from the end of the grip of the racket. If you grab the racket at the end of the handle and lift it up, you can feel the balance. If the racket has more weight in the head, you will notice that the racket feels heavier in the hand than if there is more weight near the grip. In general, heavier racquets tend to be built with lower balance and lighter racquets tend to be built with higher balance. The reason for this is simply that for the same overall weight, a racket with a lower balance is easier to swing. However, this primarily applies to the static consideration of weight and balance. However, since a tennis stroke is a movement, the mass distribution around the swing axis plays a more important role. A quantity that expresses this distribution of mass in a swing is called the moment of inertia, or when measured at a specific point, the so-called swing weight.
What is torsional weight?
​The twisting weight, or polar moment, is basically the moment of inertia about a twist of the racket's vertical axis. Basically the same laws apply as the swing weight, except that it applied to a different axle. The further the mass is from the axis of rotation, the greater the effect on the turning weight. A higher turning weight on the tennis racket gives increased stability against turning sideways, but also a reduction in the maneuverability of a racket. If you do not hit a ball exactly in the center of the racket, a higher spin weight means that the racket does not turn as easily. When you hit the ball off the center of the strings, less energy is spent turning the racket than with a low swing weight, and the racket feels more stable. A typical twist weight for a professional racket is between 12-15 kg*cm².
What is polarization?
Polarization tells you if a rack has a lot of mass at the poles or at the balance point. Polarization is thus linked to recoil weight, as a light racket requires a high polarization to achieve a high recoil weight. Although polarization seems to play a secondary role in static terms, it is essential to the feel of the game, as a polarized racket plays differently than a depolarized one. During a swing, a polarized racket feels like you're pulling it through the point of impact. In contrast, a depolarized racket feels like you're pushing it through the point of impact. Which attribute is preferred by each player is individual.
​What is recoil weight?
Recoil weight is basically the moment of inertia of a racket at the balance point. The higher the recoil weight of a racket, the more mass there is on the racket poles (handle/head end). This occasion is also often described with the term polarization. A high recoil weight feels more stable and smoother at ball impact because less recoil energy is transferred to the hand. The racket therefore plows through the ball more easily. A low recoil weight promotes length control of a shot, but this comes with less comfort and stability. A typical recoil weight for professional rackets is between 140-160 kg*cm².
Frequently asked questions about torsional weight
1. A high swing weight is good for being able to block and control the ball. A high swing weight requires a more linear swing and is more forgiving, but less maneuverable. You can benefit from such rackets if you do not hit the ball cleanly, you have problems with timing etc. Or if you have a more linear swing like the so-called WTA shots. Women on tour typically have a more linear swing path, where the racket remains in the same position all the way to ball hit.
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2. A low swing weight means more maneuverability, which means you can fine tune your shots and quickly adjust the head position of the racket.​
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3. A low swing weight means you can increase the swing weight and still have a maneuverable racket.
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4. A Low swing weight is less forgiving and requires more concentration, better footwork and generally more effort to play well.​
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5. In a perfect world, a racket with a low spin weight and a higher swing weight has a higher ceiling, but again, you should set the ceiling according to your own ability.
​How swing weight affects your shots
1. High swing weight evens out shots and it makes it almost impossible to just arm the ball with poor technique. This is because the racket has a higher moment of inertia and you have to generate more momentum with your hand to make it move and small deviations in your hand movement and muscle action do not affect the position and weight of the racket head as much.
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2. Derived from the first point, this means less maneuverability and longer reaction times for volleys etc.
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3. Higher swingweight usually means lover MGR/I and it gives you the feeling that you are pulling the racket through the contact, not pushing it. It gives you the feeling of cutting around the ball and gives you more control.
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4. More control and consistency also comes from the fact that with a higher swing weight you can swing at a lover swing speed to get the same amount of power and spin.
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5. High swing weight also means you need longer strokes to accelerate the racket. Consider Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev (Novak Djokovic is also here but not as extreme). They both have high swing weight and low MGR/I, and they have long shots, especially on the forehand side, and they play with incredible control and consistency. On the other side of the spectrum there is, for example, Nick Kyrgios. Low swing weight, high MGR/I, short strokes, incredible racquet head acceleration but lack of consistency because when he gets tight, the smallest deviations in his stroke mechanics cause a much larger change in racquet head position at contact. On the other hand, when Nadal and Zverev get tight their only job is to get the racket through the contact and the ball goes in. They put a lot more energy into doing it, but they can go into "lockdown" mode and not miss.
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6. I generally advocate that players use as high a swing weight as they can play with, but without mistiming the ball as the matches get longer. It's important to know your limits because a higher swing weight is not beneficial if it tires you out or if you can't accelerate the racket enough before contact.
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7. Higher swing weight is less forgiving and requires you to have better footwork due to the longer strokes. Your positioning has to be better because you can't make quick adjustments to your swing path.
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8. Higher swing weight can mean more spin (again if you can swing it). The racket has more angular momentum during contact and therefore more kinetic energy in the vertical direction, allowing the strings to move more and snap back, putting more spin on the ball. More angular momentum at impact also means less deformation of the racket and more energy can be transferred to the ball (rotational and kinetic energy).
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9. Rackets with higher swing weights have higher ceilings in a perfect world. Humans are not perfect machines in a perfect world, so we have to compromise and making compromises is the true artistry of racket modifications. This is also where MGR/I comes into play, which is basically a measure of compromise between mass, swing weight and balance
Frequently asked questions about the racket grip
Why is racket grip so important?
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The grip is the chain between your racket and you. There must be a natural continuity between your racket and your palm, which is where the importance of the racket grip comes into play.
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What if my racket grip is too small?
Compare your racquet to a small-grip screwdriver trying to unscrew a rusty screw. It will hurt your forearm.
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Can I play better with a smaller grip?
It is a fallacy that a small grip gives you more snap. A grip that is too small actually forces your muscles to squeeze more to keep the racket steady. Stiff muscles mean loss of sensation and over-tiring them can lead to injury.
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What if my racket grip is too big?
Too big a grip prevents you from making sensitive shots. There are times when too much grip creates injuries.
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Is the way the grip is wrapped important?
Bad or bad installation of grips and grips prevent you from finding the right way to hold and swing your racket. It can also create blisters in the palm of your hand.
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How can you help me with my grip?
We can enlarge, reduce or change the feel of your grip. We take accurate measurements of your palm and adapt your grip so that it fits perfectly.