Often when we go to buy a competition racket, we have the false belief that we are buying the same racket that professional players use. The model may be the same, but each player then customizes their racket and adapts it to their needs to optimize their performance.
The customization of our tennis tool involves plumbing it using a lead tape that we can add in strategic places, depending on how we want to distribute the weight of our racket. Next, we are going to see the different possibilities we have and how it will influence our tennis.
On the handle
When we add lead to the handle of the racket, it can be for several reasons:
- We want to increase the mass of the racket, we have added weight to the head, but we want to keep the same balance.
- We want to direct the weight of the racket towards the handle. In this way, the racket will fire less, but we will gain control and stability.
At 12
If we understand the head of the racket as a clock and we place the lead at twelve o’clock, what we are looking for is a balance oriented towards the head. The impact of plumbing this area is an increase in the power of our shots , but sacrificing control.
At 2 and 10
When we place lead ribbons in this location, we are moving the sweet spot of our racket up. This comes in handy when we do not hit the ball right in the center of the string, but in areas further away from the neck of the racket. In this way, we are also adding power to our shots, but in a more moderate way than in the previous case.
At 3 and 9
Normally, when we have never plumbed a racket, it is normal to start here. The weight distribution is not modified in such an exaggerated way, but we add solidity to the hits that we do not hit with the sweet spot and we get some extra power in our shots.
In the neck
It is not common to add lead tape to the neck of the racket. However, if you are looking to add weight to your racket but do not want to significantly modify the balance, it is not a bad option to plumb it in this area.
