ADDING LEAD TO YOUR RACKET: WHERE TO PUT IT AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS 

Thanks for the knowledge. This overview is helpful for someone like me that isn’t incredibly meticulous, mathematical or with a lot of extra time to do all the calculations and engineering. While not an exact class in the math/physics, very helpful general direction for someone experimenting.

Thanks so much that was very informative and detailed...keep up the great work and knowledge sharing brother!

That was an explanation and a half. Thank you for covering every angle of this topic for complete comprehension.

Hi ! Thanks for the video. I play tennis and have been a coach for 15 years. I bought the Blade 98/305gr (What an amazing racket) Even though it is "perfect", to teach and play at an intermediate level,I felt that I lacked power and stability when I actually trained with high-level players. I added 8gr to each racket at 3 and 9 hours. My feedback is: Now I make less effort, I literally just touch the ball and it hits the bottom very easily. I'm difficulty finding control in this beginning. It looks like another racket to me, completely different. Another thing is the rigidity of the racket that is visible increased. Now it vibrates more and that sensation Buttery beat, inherent from Blade v.7 is gone. Handling has also changed, becoming more difficult. It will be a matter of adapting to these points, but in fact, it's amazing that personalization changes the whole of the racket and not just what you actually want. Thanks

OMG.. That shirt is so dope!! I've wondered for years what my Chinese hitting partners were screaming out loud after a bad miss or an unforced. Out of common courtesy, I never asked for a translation (although I could imagine). Awesome gift idea.

Another great video! Help answer most of my questions about lead tape.-Thanks

really enjoyed this. thanks for sharing your knowledge!

Great just on time, I was Thinking about this. Now i can do it the right way

Great videos this year Harry and team. Really enjoyed he channel and learned a lot. Some good laughs too. Looking forward to 2021!🏆🎾

I believe lead application is especially benefitial for making two raquets equally spect. I have two babolat pure control that differed in weight and distribution. and i added lead to the lighter one until it had the same weight, balance point and swingweight as the heavier one. Two identical raquets now which is awesome. And if now i want a heavier raquet i can just beef both up the same way.

Great! Just what I needed to know 🙌

Beautiful explanation, thanks a lot 🙏

a lil tip for you. buy some poster paste and a small scale at 0.1g precision. maybe 15/20 bucks the total. try different weight by cutting the paste in small balls 1,2,3,4,5g and try them on the inside of the frame until you are happy and weigh the piece(s) of paste. like this you can cut the lead tape at the right amount without messing with it. just measure the length of the piece of tape + weigh the piece of tape and do the maths. you'll know exactly how much of tape length will give you the exact weight you need. no messing around with taping, untaping etc... until you're happy. it can be a waste of lead.

Superb guidance 👍🏼 thanks a lot bro!

Great job. This was very helpful. High marks.

Excellent stuff!

Hi from the UK! I play with the old Head Speed mp315 x2. 18*19... 315g... Prefer stringing with 1.30m poly string or hybrid at 59-60lbs. I felt disconnected from the ball, especially on my OHB. I eventually found that with 6g in the handle's trap door, and 4g total 3 & 9, it gave me a solid feel and plenty of connection through the strike. The biggest drawbacks I have found: with the closed string-bed, I lost both some top spin and racket head speed which in turn decreases my top spin! I will now experiment by spreading that weight more evenly across at 12&6 + 3&9, plus the handle. Do you have any suggestions? Cheers and keep up the great work!

Great tips and like your sense of humor

Thanks for the video and all the good ideas. Agreed with everything however I would not suggest start with adding lead at 3 and 9 UNLESS the player feels a lack of stability e.g. racquet wanting to twist out of his hand. I had added 2 g at each of 3 and 9 on my Vcore SV 98 and initially liked the increase stability (twistweight). Then progressively added up to 7.5 g in the head but learned to dislike the stability so I removed what I had initially put at 3 and 9. Adding the longer strips of lead at head had increased stability to the point the racquet was not maneuverable enough for me. Good again now without the 3 and 9 strips. The Vcore SV already has a decent stock twistweight of 13.8. I was probably over 15 which is probably excessive for most players (I am a 4.0-4.5 depending on how frequently I play lol). I have stiffened my Hyper G strings by going to a 16L gauge (from 17) and added 9g in the butt (my father in-law had small lead plates lying around the garage that fit perfectly after a little shaping with a cutter). Can't wait to try the stick in a few days.

A very interesting and practical video. One remark though : putting lead at 12 or 6 o’clock increases longitudinal stability and expands the sweet spot up or down respectively. Putting lead on the sides (typically at 3 and 9 o’clock) increases lateral stability and expands the sweet spot laterally. Any intermediate clock positions will produce a combination of some of both effects. Another positive of adding some weight to the head is that you get a better dynamic feel of the racquet’s position and orientation whenever you are swinging it. Just putting some protective tape on top of the frame from 10 to 2 o’clock might be enough weight if you just want that feel without much weight added.

This was great.

Your video most informative about weight!.

Thank you for the guidance, it was right on!

Hi. I’ve been watching your video, I’m wondering about how to match same racket model but different swing weight?

Hello! I have a blade v7 18x20. Want to add lead tape and leather grip. Can you please advise where better to apply it? In handle tape with leather and 12 clock lead tape? Thank you!

I've got a western forehand grip and i use the Pure Aero and i love the racquet but i'm strong enough to handle more much more weight in general. Where do i put the tape so i get more pop on my shots without it affecting my ability to swing my racquet over the top of the ball with my western grip?

the approach to weighting up this Clash Pro/Tour seems to make it like a tweener Blade. Reducing the flex into the low 60s is my guess.

Greetings from Hong Kong. Great explanation! Yes, it is pronounced as aiya!

Can you do a review of the various versions of the iconic Wilson 6.1? I have had 3 different versions and found them to be so different, even though they share the same specs ( I play with the 332g, 18/20, full red color)

Great video Harry. I initially started with a Clash 100L but found it too light, so I upgraded to a 100 Pro instead and is perfect. Where would I need to add lead to my 100L to match the 100 Pro?

I normally use PS and I used to add lead but now I have 98 Clash and I do not have lead tape but I’m thinking about using some. Not sure how to do it because I don’t want it too heavy, and I don’t know if I should add some in the handle if I have some at head. And so I want 12 o’clock or 3 & 9?. I wouldn’t mind more power but I really want control

Ivan Lendl's coach lived in my town and he would come here to train his old racquets were sold in a 2nd hand sports shop , there were dozens of them they were so heavy with lead tape I could barely hold them like a racquet they were more of a club!

Great vid!! Can you please show how different lead configurations/amounts change the swing weight?

yes youre right. rafa definitely useing 2 stripes of lead tape all underneath the bumper. Maybe even a 3rd strip right at 12 oclock because its been reported that he upped his swingweight by about 2-3g in 2017 (uncle toni said that in aninterview in 2017). Makes for a swingweight about 370. Think about how fast he whips it around, crazy

Hi, where do you recomend to put the lead in the head 360+ speed pro?

I have a regular pure aero and I want to add some weight to my racket to improve power, where should I put the lead tape?

Where do you suggest putting lead on a v8 blade 18x20? Aiming for more power to help with serve

Good Day Harry. Many years ago I bought two Head Microgel OS tennis racquets from Midwest Sports in the USA. Few years back they stopped selling the Head racquets to clients in South Africa. I think it's got something to do with Head South Africa complaining. I don't know why as this particular model is not available in SA. They are now retailing at $89.95. Would you be willing to ship to South Africa if it's a model that you sell. Thank You.

thanks. didn’t know people put lead tape on the throat area.

What tape setup would you recommend for a pure flat hitter ?

Hi. Thanks for the explanation. After 4 years of using rf97 I am moving to 97 v13. I like every aspect of rf97 except its static weight and maneuverability. 97 v13 is 315 and is more maneuverable. Can I use the led strips to improve aspects that v13 lacks in comparison to rf97? Tnx!

I love your Ai Ya T-shirt 😂

I I have a question For more spin where is the best position for lead tape? Thk

Quick question! Can I paste the lead strips with superglue or something similar to the lead does not fall off ever? My lead keeps falling off after about a month of use. Or would the glue damage the racket somehow? thanks!

I volley at the net better if the head of my racket is less stable. Head Prestige Rev Pro. Easier to quickly adjust racket face at the net. Use muscle to stabilize racket. So adding weight at 3 and 9 is a no no for me. Lead tape at the 12. I add a leather grip with tourna over wrap for more weight. I originally intended adding one ounce of tungsten putty in the handle, wrapped in a couple cotton balls to get to a 13 ounce racket, but 12 ounces is working well for me now. My best tennis was at 13 ounces, but now 30 years later.

How can I put lead, if i want more HL like 10HL? Under overgrip or base grip? Should I delete base grip, and put lead under base grip?

What happens if I add lead tape on 4 and a half holes cause currently that's wat myn is using on my Yonex Vcore 95 & I only applied lead tape to one half of my tennis racquet & not the otha end 😢 does it still impact anything or it's still owkk

I wouldn't start with 3 and 9 o'clock, because it changes multiple parameters at the same time: weight, swingweight, recoilweight and most importantly twist weight. By increasing the latter, one trades maneuverability vs better stability, but this comes at the cost of less feedback on whether you hit the sweetspot or not. Instead, I would start with small amounts at 12, since this has the biggest impact on swingweight without altering the static weight too much. It is also easy to counterbalance by putting the same amount in the buttcap.

I want to know if there is weight in Novak’s handle at all. Have you opened the cap to see?

How much weight will on 3-9 quater inch lead stips will add ?

Where shall I put my lead strip if I want to change the specs of my clash to clash pro?

You can get 1/2inch lead from the local fishing tackle shop - Much less expensive than the made-for-tennis packs. Adding double-sided tape takes a little work, mind you.

Hi, that is a very informative video!. I have a question. Because my pure drive's grip is too small I added a 10 grams heat sleeve to increase my grip size. How many weight I should add to the head to balance out? 10 grams to the head maybe too much right?

What if I'm hesitant on lead tape but use electrical tape instead. Will it also add weight too?

Most thinner Beams need more weight at 3 and 9 i guess, to help with torsional stability...

Hi, I recently got new PS 315, I was very satisifed with control and especially maneuverability but power was very low. I put about 6,7g total from around 1 to 6 and the racquet is a precise monster now, huge increase in power and no loss in precission. However, that maneuverability is now gonne..would I gain that back if I put some lead at the bottom under the cap or is that a tradeoff I have to accept?

What about the head extreme tour any recommendation ?

I remember the lead tape looking different in the 80s and 90s. Like he said it is like lead stickers but back then it looked more like actual shiny metal. Now it looks more like duct tape.

Really enjoy the channel .. the question I have is I’ve been back playing tennis for the last 4months playing 4 times per week but I’m having some discomfort over my forearm it not bad but I don’t want to get worse .. where would I add weight to counter act this .. the racket is a Babolat pure aero team .. any help would be appreciated

I'm starting with tennis and really like your explanations, thank you very much! About lead in particular, when you override some characteristics or technologies of the racket by adding lead, it makes me think a few questions: is this racket a good choice? shoud I choose another instead?

Does lead in the hoop changes the stiffness of the frame?

Maestro at work!!

These shirt is fire. You right It says AI Ya.

I am trying to put lead tape on to a Wilson Clash just like you have, thou not as much as you have. The new plush finishes on the Wilson rackets do not let the tape stick very well, how have you overcome that? Is the gamma tape stickier than most?

Is adding 25g of lead tape to a raquet to extreme because I have a Head MP Challenge and its 275g and I wont 300g

I really like that red rf bag in the back and I can’t find it anywhere else where can I get it

Great tips. Thanks. My challenge is to convert a 97S to play like a 97. How would you do it please?

How about adding weight by multiple bumpers?

Harry, what year did the wilson hyper hammer 5.6 come out, and was it a good racket?

Ai Ya !!

Goos video! Yes most pros put lots of extra weight in the head so racket head crashes the ball!! Amateur players please dont try so much as physically rackets will be too heavy for you! Pros are stronger physically so they can use 360-380 grams racket but not good for recreational players 👏💪🎾

Would the swingweight increse if i add lead at the handle or use a leather grip

Hi there , my head speed (305 g, 32 cm balance point) is somehow to much into head, do not want to play with a lead tape to increase the weight, can I brush some weight from the head ??

Does Roger really add lead to his black RF97 Pro Staff Autograph V13? Or is his current racket already build like he wants it? Who knows?

Advice for wilson blade v7 305grams

If it is only that simple as he explained!!!! Roger, Rafa, Novak have manufacturer custom racquets for them. He didn't mention to calculate balance, center of percussion, swing weight. I calculate all these. When you put in handle and 3&9 or just 12o'clock the swing weight changed and sweet spot moves towards top and HH. If you only put inside butt cap, the racquet moves toward more HL, that drag you sweet spot towards throat.

哎呀 just likes - Oh, Oops, Shoot, Shit, Holy Smoke …. in english

The most important factor for a racquet is overall weight also for preventing shoulder and arm injuries.You need a racquet that weighs at least 12 onz or 340 g and swing weight is how you control the depth of the ball.You need at least 330 for this.Easiest way is 8 grams of 1/4 tape at 12 and 5 to 10 inches.For stability and twist weight stability is at 3 and 9 5 to 6inch of 1/2 inch tape.Rafa and Roger put it at 12 to maximize spin it twists the racquet head quicker.

Are you in bay area? Is lead health for human health if I use rge lead sticker?

I accidentally bought a pure aero, instead of a pure aero tour. Where would I add lead to turn my pure aero into a pure aero tour?

Lead is good. The Babolat Tungsten strips lose it's stick and falls off.

7:31 "Lead me explain a couple things to you"

How do you put silicone in the handle

哎呀!

What will be the effect if I add lead on 10 o clock, 12 and 2 o clock?

Nice shirt lol

How can you add weight in the handle, but not silicone?

What is the effect of adding lead tape in the handle?

My racket from the 80s used to be about 390 g...used it from 1987-2018 Over the years I watched all the rackets get lighter and lighter and lighter everyone kept saying you have to have a lighter racquet your racquets too heavy... Now I used the Federer 97 brand... Now I hear people telling me they're trying to make the rackets heavier again? Why Fad?

they can add LEAD strips in CARBON layup IN THE mold

I understood everything except for the part about negating the flex. How can the lead tape stiffen the graphite structure?

That is a massive amount of lead on your racket. Curious how much does it weigh after all that lead? Balance and swing weight?

Show us how to put in on the handle properky

Do you think adding lead tape would help or hurt any shoulder issues/pain?

Good info. One question: why do you keep talking in inches and numbers of grommet holes? I wanna know how much WEIGHT you add to those different spots on the racquet. For example 2 or 4 grams at 3 and 9 o' clock. And maybe the same at 12 o' clock and in the handle. That'd make the video lot more useful.

Is led tape dangerous?????

How many grams does lead weigh? I have six grommets worth of 1/4 inch on each side at 3 and 9. Curious how many grams I have added.

What I don't get is how the pros are adding weight to rackets that are already super hefty. Isn't that too much power for them since they can generate their own power? I added 2 grams total at 3 and 9 and I feel like it's already too much power.

Yeah, it says just that xD

Slice is also spin. Not all of us are hitting top spin