Customizing your racquet might sound daunting, but it’s straightforward. Everyone can learn some basic customization.
You need some kind of weight tape. Either lead tape (1/4), copper tape or tungsten tape.
Then you simply tape two strips of lead tape on each side of the strings.
The higher up on the racquet face you do it, the higher the swing weight and the more power you get. For example at 12 o’ clock.
If you want to reduce the risk of the racquet twisting by increasing the twist weight, you add weight at 3 and 9. You can also go right in between 12 and 3, and go for the 10 and 2 locations.
Always start small when you add weight to the racquet. Two 1-inch strips is enough to start. See how that feels. Do you need more or less or is it just perfect?
One tip is to always counterbalance with weight inside the handle. The easiest way is to wrap the same amount of lead tape at the top of the grip (you have to remove the base grip first). If you want a more head-light balance, you can add more weight to the handle than you do to the head, for example. The options are endless.
Like I said, a small amount of lead tape can make a big difference. One common mistake is that players add too much and the racquet becomes too powerful and difficult to swing.
If you want to make sure your racquets are matched, meaning they have the same specifications. You should invest in a kitchen scale, a balance board and a swing weight machine (there is also a manual method, but it is tedious).
There are machines that offer all three solutions if you’re serious about your tennis racquets. I use the HEAD 3-in-1 machine for example.
A clean look
If you know how you want to customize the racquets and you want weight at 12 or 10 and 2, for example. You can get new grommets, remove the ones you have on, add the lead tape underneath the grommets and put the new grommets back on.
Many racquet brands also allow you to inject silicone into the handle instead of just wrapping lead tape around the handle. It’s a cleaner and nicer look and filling the handle usually has some small dampening properties as well.
