I like that you made a video about this. I would have to respectively disagree with almost everything you said here. 1. off the rack rackets are not like a porsche, that's why on the throat of the racket it say + or - 7, cause they all come out different from the manufacturer not to say the balance is all wack too. 2. whether you're a 5.0 or 3.5 or a 2.5, everyone can benefit from using a tool that is accurate and customized to match their specs. 3. tennis elbow is not from heavy rackets, it's because we squeeze too tight when the racket rotates at impact. in fact lighter rackets are more of the culprit. a heavy racket is more stable therefore so it won't twist as much at impact, and because of the stability we can relax more and loosen up, therefore less likely to get tennis elbow. I agree some of the strings are a culprit. Once a player is out of the beginner stage they will benefit from customizing their rackets.
I have to disagree with this take. Minor customization to adjust for quality control, racket stability, swingweight, and general feel are all completely fine imo, especially if you've been playing for a while and know what you want. But yes, you can definitely overdo it by trying to weight your racket up to Federer/Djokovic/etc. levels.
Major customization is fine too in my opinion. It depends on what the player wants and the original racquet. Some racquets I feel are meant to be customized, platform racquets.
I just switched from YONEX ezone to tecnifiber TFight 305 and I don't like the bevels on the handle. Why tecnifiber doesn't follow babolat on the handle aspect of making rackets in France??? I need to do something about this handle.
With the Briffidi this is now even more the case. Obviously you have to be very very serious about constantly improving your technique and be a serious player even if your level is not so high anymore (like me). Although I may define customising as (making sure the weight is not too high and the balance is low)…
I bought a head radical MP racquet that is 295g unstrung. That's a bit too light so instead of shelling out more $ for another one, I tried to add just enough to the 12 o'clock and at the throat to bring it to 303g while not disturbing the balance too much , and that was great.
I purchased a Vcore 100 (2023) edition from marketplace, I didn't notice the L (100L) and I got a light version of vcore 100. It is a great racket, but I would like to add some lead tapes at 2.30 and 9.30 to increase a bit of stability.
If your racket is not meeting your needs and can be adjusted or customized, it doesn't make a difference what level you're at; if you need to adjust it you need to adjust it..
First of all, customization isn't about making a racket heavier (although it does) and just adding weight because someone recommmended is not customizing a racket. I've swung many clients racket (I'm a teaching pro and stringer), most I tell that their racket is fine as is. For those playing with rackets that don't match their game, style, movement, etc, We first get a more appropriate racket. Depending on the students swing, style and the specs of their racket, I'll recommend adding lead tape primarily for 2 reasons. One is stability, if their racket shutters a bit on contact, 2-4 grams at 3 and 9 can do wonders. Second is plow through. If they play against heavier hitters 2-3 grams at 12 can tremendously offset the pace. I typically maintain the same balance simply by adding overgrip and the swingweight does increase, which benefits the player I'm working with. So if you have some understanding of what you're trying to accomplish, experiment. I've also seen people recommend to simply add a bunch of weight to their racket, because that is supposed to make it"better". That's really stupid. I purchase 285 gram rackets, as "blanks" and customize them to my game and feel. I generally get them within a couple grams SW and same balance because I know what feel I want. So in most cases I would agree with Nick, but if you know what your doing, it can definitely be beneficial for some players. Best wishes and happy hitting!
Exactly why customisation is recommended. 97p is unstable, 3&9 sorted that out with a little putty in the handle. Now it can stop heavy balls while still maintaining its headlight whippy feel.
I like your analysis 👍. I personally dislike customizing my rackets. It's easy to go down the rabbit whole of "tinkering" plus it adds more money to an already expensive racket. I customized my vcore 95s just to bring it to spec. to make them play like my old duel G 330s. I played my best tennis with those.
I think it makes sense to match racquets so that you can develop muscle memory on the same racquet characteristics. If two racquets differ by 20 swingweight units even though they are the same model (due to quality control) they will play differently. Apart from that, I completely agree with what you say.
This is a highly controversial topic but after researching and experimenting a lot, I came to the conclusion that heavier rackets are more likely to cause shoulder pain. On the other hand, light racquets are more likely to contribute to elbow problems and biceps tendinitis. I personally prefer heavier racquets because I am more likely to get bicipital tendinitis than shoulder issues. Playing against ana aggressive player who hits very hard while using a weak racquet is not going to end up well for you elbow, trust me.
I disagree. The benefits of a heavier racket are: power, depth and stability. I think any 4.0, 4.5 or above should try it. Caution: weight changes must be made on a gradual basis, a few grams every week or two.
I think it makes a lot of sense to add some weight on your racket head if you added an overgrip on the handle. I did this for my ezone so that i could match the original swing weight.
About a 3.5 here, I bought a DR98 used and it came with long Yonex weighted strips at 3 & 9. The stability this added compared to a stock DR98 helps my returns tremendously. I have to disagree with this sentiment that customization is not worth experimenting with, acknowledging the lifetime of experience gap between Nick and me. Similar to experimenting with string setups, you can make fine tweaks for your game and preference. You wouldn't tell someone that trying different hybrids and tensions would be unnecessary, because surely the Hyper-G is well-engineered enough.
I've been playing for 40+ years, and have been adding lead tape in various amounts/positions since the late 1980s. 0n a good day, I'm a 4.5, but mostly reside in the 4.0 universe. When I decided to try and go lead free after watching this video, I was using 3 inches (6 grams) at 3,6, and 9 o'clock each. I was fortunate enough to try my new setup on a Playsight equipped court, and hitting with a skilled player that I've practiced with several times in the past few years. I found I lost about 5-7% of ball speed across the board, but gained 12-15% in spin rpm, and reduced unforced errors/double faults by about 20%. Not as heavy a ball as I've hit in the past, but way more balls in play. If you are playing against a 5.0 or up in competition, the extra weight might be helpful in keeping your racket stable. I just don't think that many players are in that situation, in all honesty. For the masses, the maneuverability/racket head speed benefit outweighs that. If racket stability IS a huge issue for a player, make sure you are using the proper grip size, and not playing with a L2 when your hand size suggests you need like an L5, for example.
One thing that I agree with you on is not customizing the racket are players that are 3.0 utr or below. Those players should not customize their racket unless if they have better techniques or if they are experiencing tennis players, but for players that are young and have a utr of 3.5 or more like me can customize their racket if they want to.
Using a leather grip to add 10 grams to the handle has helped me generate more topspin as the racquet is now more head light. Before that, I added 8 grams of lead tape to the head to increase serve power, as well as doing full bed of super smash orange for extra serve pop
@@barcelonanovosti1 I've since removed the lead tape from the head of the racquet as this was causing too much pain in my shoulder on serve. A more head light racquet has made it easier to give the ball top spin and keep it in the court
@@HankHell41 Thank you for answer.But did you feel more power with lead tape ? Or there it no much difference ?I want to add 3 grams on 12 o'clock to pure drive
@@barcelonanovosti1 Looking back, I don't remember much of a difference. When I took off the lead tape, it was easier to generate more racquet head speed (and I started improving my technique) so I was getting more spin and power than ever before. 3 grams sounds like an ok starting point to tinker with your racquet, but if you start developing pain, remove it as its not worth it
I agree with what you said, I'm a 4.0 and benefit from lead and handle weight mostly to match racquets. I have a swing weight machine, and as you know quality controll is awful, seen 20 swing weight differences and 4 plus in balance. Maybe you can address this problem for folks. Best, Dean
Maybe for the beginners and to max 3.5 level it is right what you say. Customization at that level can potentially hurt you more than you gain. And the biggest improvements on those levels are too be gained by improving technique. I'm a 4.0 or 4.5 level player (difficult to translate from the system where i play) and i customized my racket to a spec that works best for me playing long matches. And that spec you cannot obtain by a stock racket. I gain a lot of confidence and my setup really feels like an extension of my arm. But it has taken a while (about a year) to find my spec and you have to know what your are doing or use an experienced and probably expensive customizer to help you with it. The fact that you talk about heavy and light racket is already totally wrong as that is what confuses everyone. Static weight isn't that important, only the swing weight, twist weight and balance is important for how "heavy" a racket feels. Saying that a heavier and flexible racket is a recipe for tennis elbow is also totally wrong.
Sometimes due to the bad habits (actions) developed over the period of years, we need to customize the racket to fix the outcome of a shot (for example wrong forehand action). Another example is I love Speed Pro (Youtek edition). The only issue it has is vibration and lake of stability. With a minor modification I can still play with the same racket without purchasing a new rakcet.
If I don't like a racquet at spec then it's probably not the racquet for me. I know what I like in terms in weight so I focus on frames that are within the weight range that I like. Now if I find a frame that I really like that is too light then I will consider adding weight to the handle, but generally speaking I'm trying to play frames as close to spec as possible.
Excellent video Nic, as it clearly explains who benefits from racket customization! Nic, what racket do you currently play with and how much weight is strapped. Thanks
I disagree with this. There are many instances where you like a racquet's feel but it only comes in 285, 300, 315 grams. And you want something, say slightly heavier, than 285. Even at 4.0 level, you can have heavy hitters that will make that 285 racquet unstable. So yeah, in those cases, in my opinion it's fine to customize. I agree that players go overboard and in general rec players should play with lighter racquets but there is such a thing as a 'platform racquet'.
I disagree. May need to balance them just a tad. Just because it’s lead doesn’t mean it has to be MAJOR. It’s your racket , make it the way you feel most comfortable using it. And yes - you can add different wheels or something on a fancy car. ITS YOURS!
Custom a light racquet to avoid to buy a new one because of limited budget have sense. I put weight on my yonex ace 260g up to 300g handle and lead tape, and my tennis elbow disapeared because it was too light. And i am a rec player 44 years old, but with a good arm
Just wanted to ask, so adding weight especially at 3-9 position, will that translate to a flatter ball path and potentially allow for bigger hits without hitting too long. Asking for myself who hits more eastern forehand and flatter. Im trying to figure out what weight balance does to shot trajectory. Thx.
Always ALWAYS work with customization. You can make an average racquet good and a good racquet amazing. Humans are not 1 size fit all and that is especially applicable to sports equipment. Use your weights boys and girls. I killed my shoulder with too light a racquet, got a heavier one but as we know they become head light.. well it was causing I consistency of head plane. So hit it 3 9 and 12 and the racquets are UNREAL. Better than ever imagined
Adding lead tape to experiment with Head light balance, plow thru, stability is perfectly fine, even if only get to know your racquet better. And unlike a porche dealer, it's only $10 for lead tape. And it can be changed on the spot to see the differences in balance/feel when swinging, and it can be completely removed if you don't like it. I would say lead tape away! but don't expect it to make you a tennis star. You will always need the fundamentals.
I gotta ask Nik. Does something like lead tape really add noticeable power to your stroke or is it just a feel thing. Like I said before rackets, string tension, string type, none of them really feel any different to me and I’m wondering if tape would be the same.
Great point. These minor differences are not going to make any difference at the lower rec levels especially if they have technical problems. Some high-level player are also very insensitive to racquet specs, in other words they can play with anything. Others at the high level are extremely sensitive. It’s mostly mental ua-cam.com/video/0z0Pw7i5DuI/v-deo.html
Talk to any rec player that uses lead...they use it because they notice a big difference, especially at 12 o'clock. Don't take my word for it. Put just 4 grams at 12 o'clock and tell me you don't notice a difference.
As an experienced racing driver I agree with your analogy. However, my tennis coach told me that rackets are made light with the intention that players customise them - is that true? I’m pretty new to tennis so am keen to know.
I think customization depends upon the player and the racquet. For instance, I prefer playing with a balance range of 7 points to 9 points and am used to having a range of total static weight from 337 to 345 grams. I find a racquet that is too light is actually harder on my arm as I have to swing harder. I've tried this experiment over and over and this is what my body tells me. I demoed a Wilson Clash Tour and found it lacking in stability and power. I put a leather grip on it and a few grams of lead tape at 3 and 9 position to counter balance and the racquet totally became alive.
I try adding weight but I have not been able to find anything I like! Doesn’t feel good. I don’t know how to reach my desired effect…whatever that is . I do believe it works well for many players to customize IF you can get it right
Excellent video, Division 1 college players and almost all juniors over UTR10 don't customize, but so many rec players think they need weight for stability or whatever and have no idea what they are doing.
@@IntuitiveTennis247 But are those WTA players getting their frames at the exact same specs from the factory every time? Alcaraz uses stock Pure Aero VS without any mods. But his stock one comes in at a Swing Weight of 293 and the same static weight and balance every single time. Normal folks like us get big variances on ours and have to use lead to try to equalize things. I dont need Alacaraz specs nor would I want them, But it would be nice to have the same specs actoss multiple racquets.
@@NewWaveAfros I play sometimes with TCU and SMU kids, know stringers for high level NCAA and UTR tournaments, almost 90% use no lead, so I would say tons don't and a very small few do use customization weight.
@@marriedwithwatches they might, but why would a 4.0 or 4.5 player chase that dragon when a D1 college kid doesn't need any weight for stability or anything else hitting against their opponents?
I respect your professional opinion and insight, but I disagree I put led tape on my racket and customize it, I would say if you’re a beginner it’s not a good idea.
You mentioned soft flexible and heavy racquets contributes to tennis elbow, can you make a video about that? Im just curious since I am dealing with tennis elbow right now.
@@IntuitiveTennis247 thanks! I will wait for that video. Im just curious because i use the 2020 prestige MP which is a soft racquet without customization and after joining my first tournament, i got tennis elbow.
@@peejread2309 That might have something to do more with the weight of that racquet or string you used than the stiffness. I've played with that racquet and if you string it with poly and high tension, it doesn't feel good. Could be because of the dense 18-20 pattern. You have to string it at a lower tension from my experience (depending on the string).
Thanks for info on customization. You reference one dimension as 'weight',, but weight can be overall weight of the racquet (eg. 11oz strung, vs 'swing weight' (eg. 325). In general to avoid injury, are you recommending a lighter racket with a low swing weight, or higher swing weight?
In general he recommends lighter and stiffer racquets. Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure I heard him say this. He even mentions heavy and flexy racquets being a problem.
Yeh I agree, it’s 100% not necessary…but I can see maybe if someone bought a lighter racquet and doesn’t have the money for a new one but their levels increased and they can handle something heavier now, so why not add some lead and try…I’m 44, hit at a high level with good technique and I never felt the need to add weight though…and never cared for identically matching racquets…I was good but wasn’t playing for money or anything so let’s get a bit real…I Played with Radicals in my late teens at 295g unstrung so with strings, dampener and overgrip it would’ve been roughly 315-320g I’d say…single handed backhand and not a huge guy 5’10, it was perfect..then played with different Speeds through my later 20s and early 30s at 336g-340g depending on the model with overgrip and dampener which is already decent, I’d gotten into the gym so that weight was perfect and absolutely didn’t need more…now I’m stronger than when I was 20-30, got into strength training and benched 140kg and I recently tried and just bought the Extreme Tour, 328g strung, overgrip and dampener and I think it’s just unreal, every review says it needs weight for better stability, so I tried various setups and I’ve stuck to it stock…The stability is fine to me, manoeuvrability is unreal as is and that’s what I loved, extra weight took it away…so I think it’s stupid in a sense to try a racquet, like it that much that you buy it, then add all this lead that completely changes how it feels and performs.
I agree that customization can become a problem at the rec level and be overdone. Some tweaks to a racquet can be beneficial to the moderate level player looking to match racquets or slightly increase swing weight. I love the feel of a leather grip on my racquet. I only ever used 2-4 grams of lead tape in the head. Adding more than that made the racquet unplayable to me.
I'm sorry but this can't be more wrong...most racquet brands (with the exception of 1 or 2) are known for shipping racquets at different weights..even if it is a few grams off, its the way most racquets are made. Played with babolat for most of my junior/collegiate career and every stock racquet that I had was shipped at different weights...So racquet customization should not be looked down upon. At the end of the day it is your equipment and your game so do what you want with your equipment :)
Nick is the Eastern-European, no B.S. coach you have in your dreams/nightmares. The accent, the straight-talk, no coddling, no touchy-feely*. Just cut the crap and get to the point. No excuses. I pulled all the weight off my rackets after this video because it confirmed my suspicion that it really wasn't worth the trouble. I'm not that good. I'm flattering myself. *I work in a very touchy-feely profession. I'm touchy-feely. But from my tennis coach, I want cold hard unvarnished truth. Update: I bought a 3rd frame (used 2018 Radical) so I can honor my desire to tinker unnecessarily with things (it’s an affliction, I admit). This also is per Nick’s suggestion - 2 frames the same in case of string breakage, 1 frame for trying different stuff.
I found a way to reduce the weight of my 2019 Prestige MPs from 320 to 305 grams. Swing weight is 295 (strung) All my frames are matched. I think this is the kind of customization that Nick could get behind
I get the idea of not making the rackets to heavy, but I would say two rackets with a difference of 3 grams or more doesn’t play quite the same. I think customization itself is a good thing, but you have to really think about the weight of the racket
Lead tape isn't even that cheap so I totally agree. Novice and intermediate players. Maybe even EVERYONE who isn't competing doesn't need it. You'd be better off investing that money in a good raquet, strings, balls. If you're someone who doesn't even know what tension they prefer or still experimenting with strings I wouldn't worry about lead tape what so ever
You mention lead tape and things of that nature, do you, or could you, have a video that speaks on what it feels like to use a racquet that's too heavy or too light for you? I have two racquets, as I play with my significant other and we rotate on which racquet we use because one is ultra sized compared to the other and I can't quite tell what the weight SHOULD be. Thanks!
One issue you'll notice is that you're framing more because you can't get the racquet around fast enough. If you go too overboard with it, you'll actually lose power because racquet head speed matters a lot. In fact, momentum is described by weight and speed squared, so speed matters a lot more. So most players customize their weight up to a point where the racquet isn't slowed down too much based on if they shank, or if they get tired too soon. That's the other thing that a lot of players don't think about. They add weight based on hitting sessions, not matches. But when it comes to a 3 hour match, your arm will be dead and will lose a ton of speed on your strokes, especially the serve if you are tired playing with too heavy of a racquet
People super butt hurt about this video, but it's quite true. Most club players focus so much on tinkering the racket specs when it doesn't matter. Foot work, conditioning, keeping your head low, etc are the more important things. It's hard to focus on these things when you carrying a hammer and don't have the right tools to utilize the hammer. I use to play with a ton of lead in my racket and felt a bit of pain in my arms so i took it off. I still played the same exact tennis :/ but my arms were less tired and i could swing a little more free
I have to disagree with that one..if you are completely satisfied with your racket ,fine why to change anything.But if you’re not trying to customise it is by far cheaper then spending 200-300$ on new stick ..Once you know what you want from the racket ,customisation is helping and fun process to do.Cheers.
Hi Nick, I kinda disagree with you on customizing your racket for players that are 4.5 or below because me myself is a 3.5 player, and I am 23 years old. I put lead tape on my racket and I started to beat lots of 4.0 players. When I play my racket always hit the sweet spots and my racket is not heavy at all and I don't get tennis elbows at all.
I don't agree completly. Small changes in the weight can be beneficial for under 5.0 level. I add leather grip and some tape at 3 and 9 on that very raquet you are using in the video. It helps me with having more stable volleys. To your point, there are people out there who are putting way too much and getting tennis elbow.
You should customize. However, If you are an unfit 3.0-4.5 player you should not add any lead tape. 1) it could harm your arm, or lead to a possible injury. etc. 2) Your fundamentals might change with the customization and lead to poor habits. So In some way I agree with his take.
I know where this video is coming from. I have friends who add lead tape throughout the entire hoop and just add tons of weight to their swing. And the thing is when rallying, lead tape can be deceptive because it feels so much easier to strike the ball. But when playing in a match setting, it becomes a lot harder because they will always miss. I think, instead of telling people that they should not customize their racket, you should be telling people how to avoid adding too much weight and the difference between hitting well and playing well.
I cannot agree that only high level amateur players need racket customisation. 1) Take your quoted example of automobiles. There are plenty of options available for normal, non-professional racing drivers: coupe, sedan or wagon, size of the engine, suspension, seats, wheel size and tyres,.....so that we can match our needs in comfort, performance and even looks. Compare to automobiles, tennis racket choices are at best equivalent to having the choice of coupe, sedan or wagon. 2) There are manufacturing tolerance, all factories do customisation in weight and balance on each racket, to ensure they meet the specs tolerance. A player can continue with that a factory left off. 3) Unless you buy pre-strung racket, a player always need to choose the string and tension, this is customisation. 4) Very often the differences between models in a racket series are with weights and balance. If one bought the light model then feels it is too light, customisation would be a better, cheapter option than buying the heavier player version.
This is probably the only video you made I disagree with my man. Intermediate and advanced rec players could always benefit from minor tweaks to the racquet to suit their needs. One could have a racquet they really like but needs a little more plow. The next level stock racquet up may meet the criteria but may be too heavy. So finding a middle ground with some tungsten or less desirable lead is quite reasonable.
I have to disagree because the manufacture ring error is too big. You buy two racquets of the same model, but their weights and swing weights can differ about 5-10. The only realistic way of matching the racquets is to add weight.
Better look elsewhere as based on what he says in this video he is not very knowledgeable about customizations. I love his videos for all the other stuff, but on this topic he is clearly a fish out of the water
Larz, I have great knowledge about customization and have fine tuned all my racquets when I played actively. This is very common at the high-level and especially the elite level. However, if a player of your caliber (you call yourself a 4.0) came to me for advice, I would say that racquet customization is the last thing you should worry about if you want to get better.
@@IntuitiveTennis247 Why are you focussing so much on static weight then? A beginner padel racket weighs already 360 grams. Talking about static weight being any important anywhere between 315 and 350 grams is total nonsense. That is what the tennis manufacurers want you to believe. On top of that you say that heavy flexible rackets cause elbow problems which is also wrong. It is not the static weight that makes a racket feel heavy according to you, but the combination of the swing weight and secondary the balance. My racket with a spec of 350 static weight, 330 strung swing weight and 31,0 cm balanse feels " lighter" than a racket with 330 static weight, swing weight of 340 and balance of 33cm. That spec would be unwieldy for me. Of course customisation is not the only part to work on. But since I have found my spec it enhanced my improvement greatly and during the proces I learned a lot about racket polarisation in relation to my technique. And the more demanding swing weight i use also forced me to up my game. I currently play with the dunlop cx200 tour 18x20 (95 inch2) customized to my spec with a swing weight of 332 and a polarisation more suited to my one handed backhand. What I would agree to is that people should not just slap lead uncontrollably on a racket without proper advice or proper knowledge about it.
@@IntuitiveTennis247 Nik, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I agree that 4.0 players (in fact , all players) would benefit from working on their game. But finding the equipment that best suits your game and intent can be done in parallel. I disagree with this video, but I’m really glad you are promoting this discussion.
Too many recreational players copy the pros and they have no idea of what the outcome will be in terms of how the extra weight will affect their bodies or influence their game. if Federer does it, it's good enough for them. Idiots.
In most cases, one should be able to find a stock racquet that gives almost identical feeling to the customized one. The bigger problem with racquet customization is, too many recreational players don't understand that defects in their technique, not that in their racquets, are the culprit of their disappointing performance! They waste too much time and energy playing around with racquet customization while ignore their own technique problems. In that sense, Nick is absolutely right one should focus on improving his technique to at least 5.0 before exploring racquet customization.
Customizing a racquet doesn't take much time or effort. Put some lead on , see how it feels. Too much weight, go back . Most rec players that are serious about improving ARE working on their techniques AND customize their racquets.
Everyone customizes their rackets because: EVERYBODY THINKS THEY'RE BETTER THAN THEY ACTUALLY ARE. *Video yourself playing tennis.* I dare ya. This will, immediately and rather rudely, disavow you of any notions of greatness that you, and everybody else, *almost certainly* have knocking about in your tennis noggins. I did. Then The Camera told me otherwise... Damn camera. Wake up, people. Most of us - and that means YOU (and me) - are very, VERY ordinary, run-of-the-mill, lackluster, underwhelming club/rec players, with weird-looking, birdlike strokes and absolutely *moronic* tennis strategies, esp. shot selection and tolerance. It goes like this: "I barely shuffled over, from my statuesque "ready" position, to this mishit, blind luck, shot-of-the-century return of serve from my equally-deluded opponent. LET'S GO FOR A WINNER! RIGHT NOW!!!" (just like they do on TV!). _hits the net_ "Oh damn. That woulda been a great shot! ... Okay, love-40." It hurts, doesn't it. Yeah, I know it does, believe me. But now we can get on with improving our REAL game, from where it actually is. Ultimately, we're better off now, working on what 'really is' versus wasting time on your (or my) tennis fantasies.
there is not one racquet in the market that feels good retail every one can be improved at the very least for feel recreation or pro makes no difference and you don't need to be nadal to benefit and if you are a high level player then i am a super star, my level is about ten times higher then yours and i don't consider myself a high level player... funny
This comment is hilarious😅😅So many racquets feel great stock standard..plenty of money has gone into creating these frames yet a little bit of lead makes them all better apparently 🤷♂️
You didn't have an unnecessary customization but a wrong customization and how are you so sure that the customization is at fault here. Generally it is a result of wrong technique where you use your kinetic chain wrongly in combination with a too stiff racket and strings. If you use the small muscles to muscle your racket through contact, yeah you are creating your own problems. A too low swing weight or a too high swing weight in combination with a stiff racket and poor technique is a recipe for troubles. I have some advanced rackets that have a too light swing weight so the customization is required to be able to play correctly with them. A 95 inch ² 315 gram 18x20 racket with a strung swing weight of 306 is way too low and requires at least 6 grams at 12 and double that behind the butt cap for a decent setup. I don't know your situation but the message of this video is wrong. Maybe your customization was very wrong, but that doesn't mean customization as a whole is wrong
Intuitive Tennis Premium 7-Day Free Trial
www.intuitivetennis.com
I like that you made a video about this. I would have to respectively disagree with almost everything you said here. 1. off the rack rackets are not like a porsche, that's why on the throat of the racket it say + or - 7, cause they all come out different from the manufacturer not to say the balance is all wack too. 2. whether you're a 5.0 or 3.5 or a 2.5, everyone can benefit from using a tool that is accurate and customized to match their specs. 3. tennis elbow is not from heavy rackets, it's because we squeeze too tight when the racket rotates at impact. in fact lighter rackets are more of the culprit. a heavy racket is more stable therefore so it won't twist as much at impact, and because of the stability we can relax more and loosen up, therefore less likely to get tennis elbow. I agree some of the strings are a culprit. Once a player is out of the beginner stage they will benefit from customizing their rackets.
I have to disagree with this take. Minor customization to adjust for quality control, racket stability, swingweight, and general feel are all completely fine imo, especially if you've been playing for a while and know what you want. But yes, you can definitely overdo it by trying to weight your racket up to Federer/Djokovic/etc. levels.
i agree chris,i use lead to get the balance perfect for me,not to drastically change overall weight
Major customization is fine too in my opinion. It depends on what the player wants and the original racquet. Some racquets I feel are meant to be customized, platform racquets.
I just switched from YONEX ezone to tecnifiber TFight 305 and I don't like the bevels on the handle. Why tecnifiber doesn't follow babolat on the handle aspect of making rackets in France??? I need to do something about this handle.
With the Briffidi this is now even more the case. Obviously you have to be very very serious about constantly improving your technique and be a serious player even if your level is not so high anymore (like me). Although I may define customising as (making sure the weight is not too high and the balance is low)…
I bought a head radical MP racquet that is 295g unstrung. That's a bit too light so instead of shelling out more $ for another one, I tried to add just enough to the 12 o'clock and at the throat to bring it to 303g while not disturbing the balance too much , and that was great.
Did it decrease control of racket ? Did you feel more power ?
@@barcelonanovosti1 I felt more power and also control.
I purchased a Vcore 100 (2023) edition from marketplace, I didn't notice the L (100L) and I got a light version of vcore 100. It is a great racket, but I would like to add some lead tapes at 2.30 and 9.30 to increase a bit of stability.
nice work, there's a reason why all the pros customize their rackets.
If your racket is not meeting your needs and can be adjusted or customized, it doesn't make a difference what level you're at; if you need to adjust it you need to adjust it..
Unless you have multiple racquets of the same kind and you need to match them.
First of all, customization isn't about making a racket heavier (although it does) and just adding weight because someone recommmended is not customizing a racket. I've swung many clients racket (I'm a teaching pro and stringer), most I tell that their racket is fine as is. For those playing with rackets that don't match their game, style, movement, etc, We first get a more appropriate racket. Depending on the students swing, style and the specs of their racket, I'll recommend adding lead tape primarily for 2 reasons. One is stability, if their racket shutters a bit on contact, 2-4 grams at 3 and 9 can do wonders. Second is plow through. If they play against heavier hitters 2-3 grams at 12 can tremendously offset the pace. I typically maintain the same balance simply by adding overgrip and the swingweight does increase, which benefits the player I'm working with. So if you have some understanding of what you're trying to accomplish, experiment. I've also seen people recommend to simply add a bunch of weight to their racket, because that is supposed to make it"better". That's really stupid. I purchase 285 gram rackets, as "blanks" and customize them to my game and feel. I generally get them within a couple grams SW and same balance because I know what feel I want.
So in most cases I would agree with Nick, but if you know what your doing, it can definitely be beneficial for some players.
Best wishes and happy hitting!
Exactly why customisation is recommended. 97p is unstable, 3&9 sorted that out with a little putty in the handle. Now it can stop heavy balls while still maintaining its headlight whippy feel.
I like your analysis 👍. I personally dislike customizing my rackets. It's easy to go down the rabbit whole of "tinkering" plus it adds more money to an already expensive racket.
I customized my vcore 95s just to bring it to spec. to make them play like my old duel G 330s. I played my best tennis with those.
I think it makes sense to match racquets so that you can develop muscle memory on the same racquet characteristics. If two racquets differ by 20 swingweight units even though they are the same model (due to quality control) they will play differently. Apart from that, I completely agree with what you say.
This is a highly controversial topic but after researching and experimenting a lot, I came to the conclusion that heavier rackets are more likely to cause shoulder pain. On the other hand, light racquets are more likely to contribute to elbow problems and biceps tendinitis. I personally prefer heavier racquets because I am more likely to get bicipital tendinitis than shoulder issues. Playing against ana aggressive player who hits very hard while using a weak racquet is not going to end up well for you elbow, trust me.
That's a good summary of the compromises to be made
Even Agassi said, you should play with the heaviest racquet possible, for your ability
I disagree. The benefits of a heavier racket are: power, depth and stability. I think any 4.0, 4.5 or above should try it. Caution: weight changes must be made on a gradual basis, a few grams every week or two.
I think it makes a lot of sense to add some weight on your racket head if you added an overgrip on the handle. I did this for my ezone so that i could match the original swing weight.
About a 3.5 here, I bought a DR98 used and it came with long Yonex weighted strips at 3 & 9. The stability this added compared to a stock DR98 helps my returns tremendously. I have to disagree with this sentiment that customization is not worth experimenting with, acknowledging the lifetime of experience gap between Nick and me. Similar to experimenting with string setups, you can make fine tweaks for your game and preference. You wouldn't tell someone that trying different hybrids and tensions would be unnecessary, because surely the Hyper-G is well-engineered enough.
I've been playing for 40+ years, and have been adding lead tape in various amounts/positions since the late 1980s. 0n a good day, I'm a 4.5, but mostly reside in the 4.0 universe. When I decided to try and go lead free after watching this video, I was using 3 inches (6 grams) at 3,6, and 9 o'clock each.
I was fortunate enough to try my new setup on a Playsight equipped court, and hitting with a skilled player that I've practiced with several times in the past few years. I found I lost about 5-7% of ball speed across the board, but gained 12-15% in spin rpm, and reduced unforced errors/double faults by about 20%. Not as heavy a ball as I've hit in the past, but way more balls in play. If you are playing against a 5.0 or up in competition, the extra weight might be helpful in keeping your racket stable. I just don't think that many players are in that situation, in all honesty. For the masses, the maneuverability/racket head speed benefit outweighs that. If racket stability IS a huge issue for a player, make sure you are using the proper grip size, and not playing with a L2 when your hand size suggests you need like an L5, for example.
One thing that I agree with you on is not customizing the racket are players that are 3.0 utr or below. Those players should not customize their racket unless if they have better techniques or if they are experiencing tennis players, but for players that are young and have a utr of 3.5 or more like me can customize their racket if they want to.
Using a leather grip to add 10 grams to the handle has helped me generate more topspin as the racquet is now more head light. Before that, I added 8 grams of lead tape to the head to increase serve power, as well as doing full bed of super smash orange for extra serve pop
Did it decrease control of racket ? Did you feel more power ?
@@barcelonanovosti1 I've since removed the lead tape from the head of the racquet as this was causing too much pain in my shoulder on serve. A more head light racquet has made it easier to give the ball top spin and keep it in the court
@@HankHell41 Thank you for answer.But did you feel more power with lead tape ? Or there it no much difference ?I want to add 3 grams on 12 o'clock to pure drive
@@barcelonanovosti1 Looking back, I don't remember much of a difference. When I took off the lead tape, it was easier to generate more racquet head speed (and I started improving my technique) so I was getting more spin and power than ever before. 3 grams sounds like an ok starting point to tinker with your racquet, but if you start developing pain, remove it as its not worth it
I agree with what you said, I'm a 4.0 and benefit from lead and handle weight mostly to match racquets. I have a swing weight machine, and as you know quality controll is awful, seen 20 swing weight differences and 4 plus in balance. Maybe you can address this problem for folks. Best, Dean
Maybe for the beginners and to max 3.5 level it is right what you say. Customization at that level can potentially hurt you more than you gain. And the biggest improvements on those levels are too be gained by improving technique.
I'm a 4.0 or 4.5 level player (difficult to translate from the system where i play) and i customized my racket to a spec that works best for me playing long matches. And that spec you cannot obtain by a stock racket.
I gain a lot of confidence and my setup really feels like an extension of my arm. But it has taken a while (about a year) to find my spec and you have to know what your are doing or use an experienced and probably expensive customizer to help you with it.
The fact that you talk about heavy and light racket is already totally wrong as that is what confuses everyone. Static weight isn't that important, only the swing weight, twist weight and balance is important for how "heavy" a racket feels.
Saying that a heavier and flexible racket is a recipe for tennis elbow is also totally wrong.
i agree with this guy ive played a ton and never bothered with lead tape-- played at a very high level
Sometimes due to the bad habits (actions) developed over the period of years, we need to customize the racket to fix the outcome of a shot (for example wrong forehand action). Another example is I love Speed Pro (Youtek edition). The only issue it has is vibration and lake of stability. With a minor modification I can still play with the same racket without purchasing a new rakcet.
If I don't like a racquet at spec then it's probably not the racquet for me. I know what I like in terms in weight so I focus on frames that are within the weight range that I like. Now if I find a frame that I really like that is too light then I will consider adding weight to the handle, but generally speaking I'm trying to play frames as close to spec as possible.
I add weight to match the specs on 3 of my rackets. The quality control isn’t the greatest, so I add different lengths of lead tape to match em.
Excellent video Nic, as it clearly explains who benefits from racket customization!
Nic, what racket do you currently play with and how much weight is strapped.
Thanks
No weight. Pure drive plus 300 g
@@IntuitiveTennis247
👍
I disagree with this. There are many instances where you like a racquet's feel but it only comes in 285, 300, 315 grams. And you want something, say slightly heavier, than 285. Even at 4.0 level, you can have heavy hitters that will make that 285 racquet unstable. So yeah, in those cases, in my opinion it's fine to customize. I agree that players go overboard and in general rec players should play with lighter racquets but there is such a thing as a 'platform racquet'.
The sole customization on my Ezone 100 300 g is a leather replacement grip, because I really like the feel of it over a synthetic grip.
I disagree. May need to balance them just a tad. Just because it’s lead doesn’t mean it has to be MAJOR. It’s your racket , make it the way you feel most comfortable using it. And yes - you can add different wheels or something on a fancy car. ITS YOURS!
Great colour coordination. You've definitely thought that through!
Custom a light racquet to avoid to buy a new one because of limited budget have sense. I put weight on my yonex ace 260g up to 300g handle and lead tape, and my tennis elbow disapeared because it was too light. And i am a rec player 44 years old, but with a good arm
Just wanted to ask, so adding weight especially at 3-9 position, will that translate to a flatter ball path and potentially allow for bigger hits without hitting too long. Asking for myself who hits more eastern forehand and flatter. Im trying to figure out what weight balance does to shot trajectory. Thx.
Always ALWAYS work with customization. You can make an average racquet good and a good racquet amazing. Humans are not 1 size fit all and that is especially applicable to sports equipment. Use your weights boys and girls. I killed my shoulder with too light a racquet, got a heavier one but as we know they become head light.. well it was causing I consistency of head plane. So hit it 3 9 and 12 and the racquets are UNREAL. Better than ever imagined
Adding lead tape to experiment with Head light balance, plow thru, stability is perfectly fine, even if only get to know your racquet better. And unlike a porche dealer, it's only $10 for lead tape. And it can be changed on the spot to see the differences in balance/feel when swinging, and it can be completely removed if you don't like it. I would say lead tape away! but don't expect it to make you a tennis star. You will always need the fundamentals.
I gotta ask Nik. Does something like lead tape really add noticeable power to your stroke or is it just a feel thing. Like I said before rackets, string tension, string type, none of them really feel any different to me and I’m wondering if tape would be the same.
Great point. These minor differences are not going to make any difference at the lower rec levels especially if they have technical problems. Some high-level player are also very insensitive to racquet specs, in other words they can play with anything. Others at the high level are extremely sensitive. It’s mostly mental
ua-cam.com/video/0z0Pw7i5DuI/v-deo.html
@@IntuitiveTennis247 thanks for the clarification. Guess I’ll skip the tape 🙏
Talk to any rec player that uses lead...they use it because they notice a big difference, especially at 12 o'clock. Don't take my word for it. Put just 4 grams at 12 o'clock and tell me you don't notice a difference.
As an experienced racing driver I agree with your analogy. However, my tennis coach told me that rackets are made light with the intention that players customise them - is that true? I’m pretty new to tennis so am keen to know.
I think customization depends upon the player and the racquet. For instance, I prefer playing with a balance range of 7 points to 9 points and am used to having a range of total static weight from 337 to 345 grams. I find a racquet that is too light is actually harder on my arm as I have to swing harder. I've tried this experiment over and over and this is what my body tells me. I demoed a Wilson Clash Tour and found it lacking in stability and power. I put a leather grip on it and a few grams of lead tape at 3 and 9 position to counter balance and the racquet totally became alive.
I try adding weight but I have not been able to find anything I like! Doesn’t feel good. I don’t know how to reach my desired effect…whatever that is . I do believe it works well for many players to customize IF you can get it right
Excellent video, Division 1 college players and almost all juniors over UTR10 don't customize, but so many rec players think they need weight for stability or whatever and have no idea what they are doing.
Exactly. Most WTA players that I worked with didn’t customize either.
@@IntuitiveTennis247 But are those WTA players getting their frames at the exact same specs from the factory every time? Alcaraz uses stock Pure Aero VS without any mods. But his stock one comes in at a Swing Weight of 293 and the same static weight and balance every single time. Normal folks like us get big variances on ours and have to use lead to try to equalize things. I dont need Alacaraz specs nor would I want them, But it would be nice to have the same specs actoss multiple racquets.
I see tons of high level juniors & college players with lead on their rackets. Everyone is different
@@NewWaveAfros I play sometimes with TCU and SMU kids, know stringers for high level NCAA and UTR tournaments, almost 90% use no lead, so I would say tons don't and a very small few do use customization weight.
@@marriedwithwatches they might, but why would a 4.0 or 4.5 player chase that dragon when a D1 college kid doesn't need any weight for stability or anything else hitting against their opponents?
I respect your professional opinion and insight, but I disagree I put led tape on my racket and customize it, I would say if you’re a beginner it’s not a good idea.
You mentioned soft flexible and heavy racquets contributes to tennis elbow, can you make a video about that? Im just curious since I am dealing with tennis elbow right now.
Video on that out soon on main channel
@@IntuitiveTennis247 thanks! I will wait for that video. Im just curious because i use the 2020 prestige MP which is a soft racquet without customization and after joining my first tournament, i got tennis elbow.
Thought it was stiff racquets that were more dangerous to tennis elbows
@@peejread2309 That might have something to do more with the weight of that racquet or string you used than the stiffness. I've played with that racquet and if you string it with poly and high tension, it doesn't feel good. Could be because of the dense 18-20 pattern. You have to string it at a lower tension from my experience (depending on the string).
@@marcelobarros5729 I thought so too. I had the wilson burn fast 99, which was stiff but I haven't had a tennis elbow using it.
Thanks for info on customization. You reference one dimension as 'weight',, but weight can be overall weight of the racquet (eg. 11oz strung, vs 'swing weight' (eg. 325). In general to avoid injury, are you recommending a lighter racket with a low swing weight, or higher swing weight?
In general he recommends lighter and stiffer racquets. Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure I heard him say this. He even mentions heavy and flexy racquets being a problem.
Yeh I agree, it’s 100% not necessary…but I can see maybe if someone bought a lighter racquet and doesn’t have the money for a new one but their levels increased and they can handle something heavier now, so why not add some lead and try…I’m 44, hit at a high level with good technique and I never felt the need to add weight though…and never cared for identically matching racquets…I was good but wasn’t playing for money or anything so let’s get a bit real…I Played with Radicals in my late teens at 295g unstrung so with strings, dampener and overgrip it would’ve been roughly 315-320g I’d say…single handed backhand and not a huge guy 5’10, it was perfect..then played with different Speeds through my later 20s and early 30s at 336g-340g depending on the model with overgrip and dampener which is already decent, I’d gotten into the gym so that weight was perfect and absolutely didn’t need more…now I’m stronger than when I was 20-30, got into strength training and benched 140kg and I recently tried and just bought the Extreme Tour, 328g strung, overgrip and dampener and I think it’s just unreal, every review says it needs weight for better stability, so I tried various setups and I’ve stuck to it stock…The stability is fine to me, manoeuvrability is unreal as is and that’s what I loved, extra weight took it away…so I think it’s stupid in a sense to try a racquet, like it that much that you buy it, then add all this lead that completely changes how it feels and performs.
I agree that customization can become a problem at the rec level and be overdone. Some tweaks to a racquet can be beneficial to the moderate level player looking to match racquets or slightly increase swing weight. I love the feel of a leather grip on my racquet. I only ever used 2-4 grams of lead tape in the head. Adding more than that made the racquet unplayable to me.
He is just making it easy because he does not want to talk about it. I am a 4.5-5 and it helped my game: leather grip, lead tape.
I'm sorry but this can't be more wrong...most racquet brands (with the exception of 1 or 2) are known for shipping racquets at different weights..even if it is a few grams off, its the way most racquets are made. Played with babolat for most of my junior/collegiate career and every stock racquet that I had was shipped at different weights...So racquet customization should not be looked down upon. At the end of the day it is your equipment and your game so do what you want with your equipment :)
Nick is the Eastern-European, no B.S. coach you have in your dreams/nightmares. The accent, the straight-talk, no coddling, no touchy-feely*. Just cut the crap and get to the point. No excuses.
I pulled all the weight off my rackets after this video because it confirmed my suspicion that it really wasn't worth the trouble. I'm not that good. I'm flattering myself.
*I work in a very touchy-feely profession. I'm touchy-feely. But from my tennis coach, I want cold hard unvarnished truth.
Update: I bought a 3rd frame (used 2018 Radical) so I can honor my desire to tinker unnecessarily with things (it’s an affliction, I admit). This also is per Nick’s suggestion - 2 frames the same in case of string breakage, 1 frame for trying different stuff.
I found a way to reduce the weight of my 2019 Prestige MPs from 320 to 305 grams. Swing weight is 295 (strung) All my frames are matched. I think this is the kind of customization that Nick could get behind
THANK YOU NICK , READY TO WATCH ALCARAZ , SINNER FINAL IN YOUR HOME COUNTRY CROATIA, PLAVA LAGUNA OPEN , BEAUTIFUL COURT , BEAUTIFUL PLACE
I get the idea of not making the rackets to heavy, but I would say two rackets with a difference of 3 grams or more doesn’t play quite the same. I think customization itself is a good thing, but you have to really think about the weight of the racket
Some racquets I do customize BUT the new Head Prestige MP, new Head Radical MP and Pro are perfect as is. I have no reason or desire to modify it.
Lead tape isn't even that cheap so I totally agree. Novice and intermediate players. Maybe even EVERYONE who isn't competing doesn't need it. You'd be better off investing that money in a good raquet, strings, balls. If you're someone who doesn't even know what tension they prefer or still experimenting with strings I wouldn't worry about lead tape what so ever
You mention lead tape and things of that nature, do you, or could you, have a video that speaks on what it feels like to use a racquet that's too heavy or too light for you? I have two racquets, as I play with my significant other and we rotate on which racquet we use because one is ultra sized compared to the other and I can't quite tell what the weight SHOULD be. Thanks!
One issue you'll notice is that you're framing more because you can't get the racquet around fast enough. If you go too overboard with it, you'll actually lose power because racquet head speed matters a lot. In fact, momentum is described by weight and speed squared, so speed matters a lot more. So most players customize their weight up to a point where the racquet isn't slowed down too much based on if they shank, or if they get tired too soon. That's the other thing that a lot of players don't think about. They add weight based on hitting sessions, not matches. But when it comes to a 3 hour match, your arm will be dead and will lose a ton of speed on your strokes, especially the serve if you are tired playing with too heavy of a racquet
People super butt hurt about this video, but it's quite true. Most club players focus so much on tinkering the racket specs when it doesn't matter. Foot work, conditioning, keeping your head low, etc are the more important things. It's hard to focus on these things when you carrying a hammer and don't have the right tools to utilize the hammer. I use to play with a ton of lead in my racket and felt a bit of pain in my arms so i took it off. I still played the same exact tennis :/ but my arms were less tired and i could swing a little more free
Well said
I have to disagree with that one..if you are completely satisfied with your racket ,fine why to change anything.But if you’re not trying to customise it is by far cheaper then spending 200-300$ on new stick ..Once you know what you want from the racket ,customisation is helping and fun process to do.Cheers.
Hi Nick, I kinda disagree with you on customizing your racket for players that are 4.5 or below because me myself is a 3.5 player, and I am 23 years old. I put lead tape on my racket and I started to beat lots of 4.0 players. When I play my racket always hit the sweet spots and my racket is not heavy at all and I don't get tennis elbows at all.
I don't agree completly. Small changes in the weight can be beneficial for under 5.0 level. I add leather grip and some tape at 3 and 9 on that very raquet you are using in the video. It helps me with having more stable volleys. To your point, there are people out there who are putting way too much and getting tennis elbow.
You should customize. However, If you are an unfit 3.0-4.5 player you should not add any lead tape. 1) it could harm your arm, or lead to a possible injury. etc. 2) Your fundamentals might change with the customization and lead to poor habits. So In some way I agree with his take.
Porsche 911 Carrera $106100, i wish i could afford one! 😀
My racquet weighs 300 grams and might be too heavy for me.
Nice video Nick, i like it!
300 grams is ok Hans
@@IntuitiveTennis247
Thank you Nick.
I’m 230lbs bodybuilder type. May I lead tape my racket ?
Very much disagree. This is very opinion based and no factual evidence.
To me it seems like this is just for views...
I know where this video is coming from. I have friends who add lead tape throughout the entire hoop and just add tons of weight to their swing. And the thing is when rallying, lead tape can be deceptive because it feels so much easier to strike the ball. But when playing in a match setting, it becomes a lot harder because they will always miss. I think, instead of telling people that they should not customize their racket, you should be telling people how to avoid adding too much weight and the difference between hitting well and playing well.
My old Dunlop aerogel needs weight. I feel.more relaxed the heavier thr rawuet. Everyone is diff
It's very necessary unless you are buying 300$+ racquets. The cheaper stuff is way too head heavy and will really hurt your game
I cannot agree that only high level amateur players need racket customisation.
1) Take your quoted example of automobiles. There are plenty of options available for normal, non-professional racing drivers: coupe, sedan or wagon, size of the engine, suspension, seats, wheel size and tyres,.....so that we can match our needs in comfort, performance and even looks. Compare to automobiles, tennis racket choices are at best equivalent to having the choice of coupe, sedan or wagon.
2) There are manufacturing tolerance, all factories do customisation in weight and balance on each racket, to ensure they meet the specs tolerance. A player can continue with that a factory left off.
3) Unless you buy pre-strung racket, a player always need to choose the string and tension, this is customisation.
4) Very often the differences between models in a racket series are with weights and balance. If one bought the light model then feels it is too light, customisation would be a better, cheapter option than buying the heavier player version.
This is probably the only video you made I disagree with my man. Intermediate and advanced rec players could always benefit from minor tweaks to the racquet to suit their needs. One could have a racquet they really like but needs a little more plow. The next level stock racquet up may meet the criteria but may be too heavy. So finding a middle ground with some tungsten or less desirable lead is quite reasonable.
I have to disagree because the manufacture ring error is too big. You buy two racquets of the same model, but their weights and swing weights can differ about 5-10. The only realistic way of matching the racquets is to add weight.
Could you do some customization tutorial on your main channel ?
Better look elsewhere as based on what he says in this video he is not very knowledgeable about customizations. I love his videos for all the other stuff, but on this topic he is clearly a fish out of the water
Larz, I have great knowledge about customization and have fine tuned all my racquets when I played actively. This is very common at the high-level and especially the elite level. However, if a player of your caliber (you call yourself a 4.0) came to me for advice, I would say that racquet customization is the last thing you should worry about if you want to get better.
@@IntuitiveTennis247 Why are you focussing so much on static weight then? A beginner padel racket weighs already 360 grams. Talking about static weight being any important anywhere between 315 and 350 grams is total nonsense. That is what the tennis manufacurers want you to believe. On top of that you say that heavy flexible rackets cause elbow problems which is also wrong. It is not the static weight that makes a racket feel heavy according to you, but the combination of the swing weight and secondary the balance. My racket with a spec of 350 static weight, 330 strung swing weight and 31,0 cm balanse feels " lighter" than a racket with 330 static weight, swing weight of 340 and balance of 33cm. That spec would be unwieldy for me.
Of course customisation is not the only part to work on. But since I have found my spec it enhanced my improvement greatly and during the proces I learned a lot about racket polarisation in relation to my technique. And the more demanding swing weight i use also forced me to up my game. I currently play with the dunlop cx200 tour 18x20 (95 inch2) customized to my spec with a swing weight of 332 and a polarisation more suited to my one handed backhand.
What I would agree to is that people should not just slap lead uncontrollably on a racket without proper advice or proper knowledge about it.
@@IntuitiveTennis247 Nik, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I agree that 4.0 players (in fact , all players) would benefit from working on their game. But finding the equipment that best suits your game and intent can be done in parallel. I disagree with this video, but I’m really glad you are promoting this discussion.
@@tenniswithandy no worries. It’s ok to disagree ✌️
Strings are enough of a nerd vortex for me
That is some terrible analogy. If this video says anything, you actually don't know anything about equipments.
It’s your racket, just do what you want, especially if tennis your your hobby
Too many recreational players copy the pros and they have no idea of what the outcome will be in terms of how the extra weight will affect their bodies or influence their game. if Federer does it, it's good enough for them. Idiots.
In most cases, one should be able to find a stock racquet that gives almost identical feeling to the customized one. The bigger problem with racquet customization is, too many recreational players don't understand that defects in their technique, not that in their racquets, are the culprit of their disappointing performance! They waste too much time and energy playing around with racquet customization while ignore their own technique problems. In that sense, Nick is absolutely right one should focus on improving his technique to at least 5.0 before exploring racquet customization.
Customizing a racquet doesn't take much time or effort. Put some lead on , see how it feels. Too much weight, go back . Most rec players that are serious about improving ARE working on their techniques AND customize their racquets.
just do not customize for the worse. rest is ok. also most people focus too much on raquets and forget strings.
Alcaraz's racket is not custimsed at all
Everyone customizes their rackets because:
EVERYBODY THINKS THEY'RE BETTER THAN THEY ACTUALLY ARE.
*Video yourself playing tennis.* I dare ya. This will, immediately and rather rudely, disavow you of any notions of greatness that you, and everybody else, *almost certainly* have knocking about in your tennis noggins. I did. Then The Camera told me otherwise... Damn camera.
Wake up, people. Most of us - and that means YOU (and me) - are very, VERY ordinary, run-of-the-mill, lackluster, underwhelming club/rec players, with weird-looking, birdlike strokes and absolutely *moronic* tennis strategies, esp. shot selection and tolerance.
It goes like this: "I barely shuffled over, from my statuesque "ready" position, to this mishit, blind luck, shot-of-the-century return of serve from my equally-deluded opponent. LET'S GO FOR A WINNER! RIGHT NOW!!!" (just like they do on TV!). _hits the net_ "Oh damn. That woulda been a great shot! ... Okay, love-40."
It hurts, doesn't it. Yeah, I know it does, believe me. But now we can get on with improving our REAL game, from where it actually is. Ultimately, we're better off now, working on what 'really is' versus wasting time on your (or my) tennis fantasies.
Excellent James 🙌🙌👌👌
there is not one racquet in the market that feels good retail every one can be improved at the very least for feel recreation or pro makes no difference and you don't need to be nadal to benefit and if you are a high level player then i am a super star, my level is about ten times higher then yours and i don't consider myself a high level player... funny
Come to Florida and beat the pro
ua-cam.com/video/i_1Uc0y3ySI/v-deo.html
This comment is hilarious😅😅So many racquets feel great stock standard..plenty of money has gone into creating these frames yet a little bit of lead makes them all better apparently 🤷♂️
✔️
👍
Nikola, if i watched this video 10 years ago i wouldn't have golfer's elbow because of unnecessary racquet customizations.
You didn't have an unnecessary customization but a wrong customization and how are you so sure that the customization is at fault here. Generally it is a result of wrong technique where you use your kinetic chain wrongly in combination with a too stiff racket and strings. If you use the small muscles to muscle your racket through contact, yeah you are creating your own problems. A too low swing weight or a too high swing weight in combination with a stiff racket and poor technique is a recipe for troubles.
I have some advanced rackets that have a too light swing weight so the customization is required to be able to play correctly with them. A 95 inch ² 315 gram 18x20 racket with a strung swing weight of 306 is way too low and requires at least 6 grams at 12 and double that behind the butt cap for a decent setup.
I don't know your situation but the message of this video is wrong. Maybe your customization was very wrong, but that doesn't mean customization as a whole is wrong
Yet another ignorant take from this guy.
What a silly advice.
👍