Re-creating roger federer's racquet (based off "fabfed" specs)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ธ.ค. 2024
- This video is for those interested in my banter/process/seeing something different.
Specs: ~355 (at the 27" config), 364g, 32.2cm~ balance, low twist weight.
There will be a review video and some other stuff on this racquet, but if you really want something "entertaining" and not "boring" I suggest you go look up a guy called "Roger Federer." Maybe you heard of him? He uses a racquet like this one and plays tennis with it better than me.
5 days of work, maybe 10 hours of messing about (calculating, drilling, taping) and we have this thing.
I took out a bunch of talking, but still it's a long one. Feels good to have done. Left out a couple minor details but it's very very close to at least the old known spec of roger's equipment, just on the larger head size. Biggest difference on court will just be the string setup.
the racquet colonoscopy has made my day!
where did you buy this racquet
Nice video! Hope to see more :)
You forgot the power leather pads
A way to get closer to RF's specs could also be to buy the racket one gripsize larger than usual, ditch the leather grip, and play with two overgrips instead. It gives you a less headlight balance and some room for customization.
Hopefully you're welcome back on tour and on the court.. thanks for your time and expertise
You will have to do a video update on how it plays. I can't keep up with all of the comments. Do you have another retail Wilson you can compare it too?
There will be a few more videos on these racquets, rest assured. Next video will be swing weight and spin. So that one hopefully will open up some eyes to the topic!
nice video raquet tech thank you for all your hard work.
Saleem you're always too kind to me!
You spend all the time and effort to make videos and answer all of our questions, regardless how dumb those questions are (I have asked few of those:) ) it is you whos is kind to us Racquet Tech, I appreciate all the time and effort you have done helping us.
tajsaleem No sweat saleem! not a big deal at all! And no question is a dumb one. Not asking questions is the dumb thing to do
I don't understand the point of having an autograph version if it's not he same as his. Do they not wanna give out his exact specs, or does it cost too much?
Yeah welcome to the real world! The autograph racquet is just a money maker. They just came out with the blacked out version which will probably cost more than the $220 the current one does.
As for his specs, I think they don't want us to have pro specs because it leaves more room on the table to make "technologies" look better with weight. Also I think they don't believe we can handle higher swing weights. More importantly, the twist weight on the rf97a I think is just to help sell the racquet. Make it feel unique and super forgiving, probably helps people think it's a better racquet.
If anything the lighter twist weight, and different handle weighting should cost the same or LESS. So, yeah. Now you can see why I was disgusted with the industry by the time I left working in it.
Yep, the new RF97 is essentially the same spec racquet except it now has an even lower SW. It's all black - guess they didn't even bother to paint the Chinese racquet :)
Did you get a degree in college, or did you work your way into the industry some other way?
Cdog810 I'm still working on finishing college. But my work so far in college had nothing to do with where I worked or what I did. In fact, most people have zero education related to working in the industry. However, I just worked at a retailer. Hope that helps.
I studied as an aerospace engineer and after a few years I changed my major, so most of this stuff is a piece of cake.
I hate metal weights in the handle at one spot. It will be so much easier to swing with weight uniformly distributed throughout the handle, can't understand why it's common for manufacturers to put weight in the handle in one blob.
I forgot to ask: Are those specs now closer to a PS90 (in weight and weight distribution, SW, etcetera) than a RF97A? If it is so that frame should play amazingly. Thanks again!
Yes and no. If you were to modify the chinese one, you could get it to be basically a ps90 with the bigger headsize in terms of weight specs. You will increase the twist weight as you add weight to the tip. But if you're going for ~330sw (Stock 90 specs rather than 355+), I think it should be pretty close. Definitely closer (if willing to modify) than the rf97a. Obviously won't feel the same as the 90 (headsize, beam differences, string pattern). hopefully that helps answer your question.
That being said, I've found that having all the weight at the tip makes the racquet just much more manuverable/quicker feeling. And that has to do not only with the twist weight but just how the racquet gets it's twist weight. Weight at the bottom of the hoop (not talking about in the throat) seems to be the most cumbersome with more whippy mechanics, while having all weight at the top seems to be the best feeling with more spin oriented strokes.
Hopefully that helps answer your question/give you and idea how it feels.
I need to bring myself to measure the twist weight. But I'm lazy
I won't say you are lazy, seeing all the work you've done for your vids. I'm much more lazy than you, probably, and it will take me a year to customize one of those racquets, but I'm on it. Thanks a lot. And it would be nice to have your impressions on court.
Would love to know how you'll go about measuring the tw. Could you please just do a short video of it?
I have the RF97 Autograph version and I can say that from my previous racket it is just so much better. My last racket was still a £120 racket but what I find with the RF97a is that you get really easy power. I didn't have time to watch the whole video (so forgive me If I make a wrong assumption), but it looks as if you have bought a cheap frame from tennis warehouse and modified it to match the fed specs, I just don't see how that's better than just buying an rf97a, what's so bad about it?
I've been looking up the TT thread where Fabfed shows his K6.1 pro stock. The pictures are no longer there, but I couldn't find the racket specs either. Could them have been deleted? further fueling the secret fed specs conspiracy?
hope you're feeling better soon! this video is really cool.
Hey thanks Austin! I appreciate that. It's just something that comes up from time to time, but at least I'm slowly doing better. I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
Doesn't Federer uses Wilson Natural Gut for his main strings, and Luxilon Alu Power Rough for his cross strings? If so any reason why you didn't use the same string to recreate his racquet?
Because copying federer's string is silly. Federer, like most of the top pro's restring 7-10 frames sometimes more, daily. I went with strings that will give me better tension stability. I just can't afford to replace natural gut and luxilon (30$ a set) anywhere close to that often. A racquet after just a few days loses a ton of tension. Even after one hitting session, a 60lb string job can be down close to 20lbs, especially as the racquet sits. So one way to counter act this, is to pick strings that have higher stiffness. Also RPM Team 16 black has the best tension stability of all the poly's, even better at the end of it's life than luxilon 4g.
So in short, because this string setup will play the way I want for longer. I am not paid by wilson/luxilon, so picking a setup that plays more like I want it to, for longer, is important for me. Because yes, champions choice would play the same, the very first day I strung it, as what federer actually uses, but after that, it would be mush in comparison to what he uses. And I prefer babolat's coating over wilson's string. And fresh off the stringer luxilon and gut feels amazing. I love it. But, after a month or two, or a few hitting sessions, it's just mush.
Racquet Tech gotcha thanks for the reply and makes sense
alexandergoldman
Yeah no problem. I think that's the one of several crappy things about the string market. I really should do a video on that too. I'm really behind on videos as it is.
@@RacquetTalk great info. so for longevity you recommend the RPM team black 16 at a very high tension?
@@Ryezn5057 It will maintain play characteristics the longest (as the string stretches). I didn't end up liking it as a cross string for a hybrid however. If you like luxilon 4g then give it a shot, otherwise a softer string might end up being a better choice. Strings are another really important topic I haven't done anything about, yet.
Do you have a chance to measure twist weight of the racquet? Below 12.00 twist weight would be ideal for me do modify. For this head size, it might be hard, but around 12.3 like Pro Staff 85 is great. So hard to find low twist weight racquet right now.
Yeah it is hard, manufacturers have been shifting to higher and higher. One of the newer yonex 310 racquet has a pretty low stock twist weight. The thing is with these racquets is that even if mine is low or high, doesn't mean that yours will be. I did find out that if you contact the seller when you order one of these frames and ask they will not place the weight in the racquet from the get go. But they will put on a sort of cheap pallet on for the handle.
Yeah I'm demoing the Duel G 97 310gr. I like Yonex and it's the best modern racquet I could find right now. They discontinued the Tour F 93 which even has lower twist weight.
After watching your videos, I also believe that these trend of increasing twist weight from manufacturers affects pro scene nowadays, especially in WTA. Very often I see female players try so hard to hit the balls and look like they struggle with the normal FH, BH. Now I recognise twist weight should be high that makes them look "struggling". In addition, it's hard to have clean volleys with high twist weight racquet. Probably why many pros afraid of approaching the net now haha. Very boring tennis.
Interestingly enough, higher twist weight lowers access to spin and spin potential as well. Which is probably one of the big reasons why pros like the older graphite frames; most of the old sticks had lower twist weight. Like the original APD vs the later ones. I'll be talking about this in the next few vids. But yeah good to see you're catching all that.
I understand that manufacturers want to create user friendly racquets to sell. Hence bigger racquet head for easy power and spin + high twist weight for stablization. It's good for general, recreational players but not pro scene as they play similarly. Those marketing from technology for more spin is just a trick (Some might work).
I personally see that modern racquets (big racquet head, high twist weight to be emphasized) help players create consistent shots easier, with consistent pace and top spin. But then it eliminates shot variety. High twist weight reduces maneuverability hence hard to create angles and pin-point shots, extreme top spin or flat. So nowadays players just train to hit hard with lots of spin (but never like Nadal or Sock) and nothing else. Might be rude but very unskillful doing so. It's hard to blame them since they accustomed with those frames in young age. Give them classic frame like Federer's and I believe it would be different.
I personally change technique a bit when using different racquets, because of twist weight (thanks to you :D).
Extra comment: high twist weight (depends on each player) makes volleys and slices awful. Now I know why when I was a child, I couldn't volley properly even though I understood the mechanics. The ball always floated. Very frustrating haha.
how about the "flex technology" is it just marketing or does it help?
Hi where did you get the mold from?
You are very knowledgeable on this. I would love to figure out the best racquet, strings, tension, weight, etc. that suits me. But it seems very complicated and I don't know where to start. What do you recommend for someone like me? Is there someone or someplace I can go to get consultation?
Sorry you haven't been feeling well as of late. I wish you a speedy recovery and once again, we very much appreciate your excellent educational videos and your insights.
One question : Do you think you would get to Fed's specs easier or more successfully even, if you modified a retail PS97 rather than an RF97A ?
As far as I can tell, neither will get you to his sw+bal+static weight, or at least these older known specs. I imagine his current specs are linear to these in that the ratio of balance/sw/mass must be similar, but you'd get closer with a ps97 than an autograph for sure.
great work. I think your video deserves more views. nobody has really exposed the marketing side of the industry like this. would be nice if one could get close to this mod with the rf97a for those of us that have already purchased a few.
If I get my hands on a rf97a even a broken one, I would cut it up and figure out how to get there. I have some theories on hardcore mods that could get you there, but I can't do them unless I have a "test subject"
I'm quite sure rf97a just has foam in the upper hoop, that drapes down to the sides. That's how they weighted the kps88. And I have some ideas to minimally invasive remove that. But I won't know until I can cut one open or at least take all the bumpers off and get a camera inside (likely would involve drilling).
I want to re-do this video, with my other sticks, new camera and new software to make it all trendy. So, hopefully that one will get more views. Thanks for checking it out!
Racquet Tech I checked the tennis warehouse tool to see what it says if you want to customize the retail rf97a to the estimated Fed pro stock specs you gave and it said "SOL" basically. LOL
Then I entered the specs of the retail pro staff 97 and as you said it displayed exactly where to add the weight for a successful target customization. I'm not a physics guy so it still baffles me that what seems like a small spec difference between the 97 a and the 97 makes it impossible to customize the 97a to get the pro stock spec that Roger uses.
Sz Ki Funny isn't it? Such a small difference that ends up being so big.
Are the PS97 durable, i was wondering because i dont want to buy the red ps97 and the countervail, i already have replacement grommets, i was wondering if it was going to break
I added weight to PS97 and put it at 12 o clock and I added some to handle but it hurt my hand and made things unstable but I put weight closer to buttcap and not higher up on handle maybe that’s the problem
Hi, I was just wondering if safety measurements should be taken when stringing racquets from Ali express? Because I'm planning on getting one to tinker with and I'm worried that when I go to string it, it would break and cause graphite shrapnel to fly everywhere and injure myself. If so, what would you recommend?
I have strung 3 of them. two multiple times. Broken strings in them. All at like high 50lb range on a constant pull machine, and no problems. I would say get the legit gommet set and you're good. I've also slammed the racquets into walls and such because I get bored while sick at home for months on end and want to swing a racquet. And I can safely say, the racquet is stronger than... parts of my house. My ego is a bit bruised thought, because I feel like a major dumbass when I do something like that.
I really enjoy your channel and videos. You have a great knowledge base.
I'm wondering what you would recommend doing to get as close as possible to Federer's specs, keeping in mind what the average person can actually do. I would think to buy the non autograph version and add weight in the right spots?
Yeah that would be a great start. Or even one of these chinese sticks could be a good choice. It comes with an inherent risk, athough this racquet has had some pretty harsh abuse and is holding up great. I would just take this stick, and put weight at 12. The twist weight will come up a fair amount because you'll need a lot of lead under the bumper. But the stick does play well even when you don't remove the weight in the handle. The only difference would then be the balance (assuming you did put a leather grip on).
Otherwise a ps97 would be my go to pick, throw a leather grip of your choice on there, and get as much weight at the center of the tip of the frame as you can to reach that 355~ marker. Should get you pretty damn close.
The spec I now believe fed is using on his 97 is a 359g (ill have more info in a coming video), and I assume balance is in the low 32cm range, with a ~355sw
I thought you said federer uses a low twistweight, somewhere between 12-13. TWU twistweight has the prostaff 97 as 14.52. So would throwing a leather grip and adding tape at 12 really get it close? Thanks.
I have the new 97RF autograph, and i was playing with his racquets last 10 years, i still prefer his racquet from 2002 (Rs pro staff tour 90) with yellow inside, and it had much more weight on the head, how much led should i add to achieve Roger balance, you said he is using 359g-364g so should i ad 3-4g on the 12o clock?
I believe you said it's a bit longer.
Did you trim it off as this would have a major impact on the specs .
Looks like Federer's swing weight is 345? High, but not super high. See 17:24 of the following video - th-cam.com/video/qP4GOLcbZRA/w-d-xo.html
How important is balance? The part about modifying the balance is still a little confusing in terms of the grand scheme of things.
Balance get's thrown a lot with manuverability. However I have found with players online that balance has the most important impact on sweet spot location. Higher balance moves it up, lower balance moves it down. I generally recommend 33.7cm-32.3cm balance as a range. Preferably 33.5-32.5cm. You can go outside that but might not feel that great. I do need to talk about this, so thanks for bringing it up; I've written it down.
Is there any advantage to layering the tape like you did at the top of the handle? and if so, is that also applicable for layering it underneath the bumper guard at the very tip of the racquet as so the grommets don't bulge out as much?
Sorry, bumper guard not grommets
So for the weight at the tip, you can get a lower twist weight if you layer more of it at the very tip.
As for under the handle, it just gets more of the weight at that roughly 7" handle. I did it because the longer the strips, the less of the weight is going to be exactly where I want it. The differences are small, but since I had soo much weight, and I was trying to make the balance as high as possible, I layered it all.
The differences usually are small. But in this case if I had just made the strips full length that the tip, and not layered them, I would have had to go all the way around the hoop. And that would have dramatically increased the twist weight, and wouldn't have raised the swing weight as high. Even though we always focus on the center of the lead strip, anywhere we have lead, we are increasing weight. So we want to make it as effective as possible
Do players who play with a more closed stringbed have rackets with a higher SW than with open one? Or it doesnt have to do with it at all?
It depends on where you draw the lines. If we're talking 16x19 vs 18x20 in general, not much of a correlation, but compare the pros to rec players, most of the pros are using slightly smaller racquets there by you could say they have tighter string patterns.
But in general I would say the two aren't related, it all comes down to what each individual player uses best. Because stringbed stiffness is not solely dependent on pattern, but of tension and string choice. I would say players with higher swing weight tend to play with stiffer stringbeds; higher sw makes the string bed play "softer", and to maintain good control stiffer string beds are typically used. Just the difference between a pro's stick with the same lux string as a rec player, day of, is night and day. Simply because their strings are brand new, used for 30-40minutes and freshly strung, vs a rec player has the same strings in for at least a week (which means a lot of tension will be lost)
+Racquet Tech Coming from someone w/ an engineering degree this is great content. Do you have any recommendations for professionals in florida who do racquet customizations? I'm a 4.5 and have pretty much plateaued my skill given my size and strength (male 5ft 7in). Against bigger guys in the 4.5 / 5.0 level I get hit off the court (returns esp). I'm using a Prince tour diablo mid w/ solinco hyper g. Love the stick but after watching your videos I want to bump up my swing weight to 345-50 and see how I respond. I also want to bump up the twist weight to 13+ (11.18 currently). I don't want to risk f'ing it up by doing it myself since I only have 3.
You can't mess it up I promise.
I did engineering for a few years at cal poly slo (here in california). Aerospace stuff just ended up being not what I wanted to do (too much matlab!), so I have a pretty basic understanding of the basic physics. Enough for me to get everything I need to know for racquets.
So, if you're an engineer, I'm SO sure you can do this. I have other videos on customization and it sounds like you watched them. Go ahead and buy yourself a reel of lead tape (1/4" for the hoop, probably don't need any more, even under the handle if you're willing to spend time cutting lots of strips for the handle). 1lb reel cost me like $25 and lasts lots and lots of racquets.
Basically you just need lead tape, a ruler, and preferably some kind of tailors measuring tape (to help with on racquet measurements), and then the tennis warehouse customization tool. Diy swing weight measurement is pretty easy to do as well. Basic pendulum setup, couple of length measurements, and a simple time measurement.
It's about as hard as putting scotch tape on something, really it's wicked easy to do, and unless you're drilling the handle out, it's totally reversible.
I don't know any shops in florida, although I am sure there are some. Some of the big name places charge too much, but I can't speak for all of them
Cool thanks for the reply - good to know the tape isn't permanent. I did environmental eng, so I got all the basics. Ended up not wanting to do engineering as a career and went into healthcare instead. Definitely going to read the books and articles you mentioned in other videos. I can tell already this could be a deep rabbit hole for me haha. Get healthy soon!
Mike Tz Yeah engineering kind of sucks if you're not the type for it.
Thanks man! I'm trying lol!
Nice! Good video! I have a question: where I can buy a racket like this, to modify it?
vraf2027 AliExpress
Do you have a receipt what racquet should I buy (Pro Staff 97 with 315g or Pro Staff 97 L with 290g) and what should I do with it in order to get Fed's specs?
Will there be enough to add some lead tape to the top and some silicone to the handle or I'll have to remove those metal plates in any case?
Dude .. crazy great video ..!!! can you post a video about its court performance? How different it actually is than the factory line up?
Well the racquet definitely feels dramatically different than the rf97a I tried a while ago. It's radically different. It feels pretty soft, can't comment on how it compares exactly to the rf97a because it was so long ago, these specs are so much different, and this string bed is different. Eventually I promise to do some review videos. One hopefully will give people some laughs.
QUESTION: Can you get the same control with rpm blast X tonic+ as with a full bed of rpm with the added feel of the gut?
Florian Goethals in short no. But control to a degree is somewhat subjective. It's all about dwell time. The longer the dwell time the less technical control you have, as the ball stays on the stringed longer. That means your contact point is longer. Also it means the ball "bounces" off the string bed more; more power less directional control.
However you might like the control using a stiff cross string like luxilon 4g or rpm Team 16 black can provide. The stiff cross string will dramatically reduce the dwell time compared to say a luxilon alu power. But you won't get the all out power.
Everything is a give and take. Basically it's all about finding what works for you best; what gives you enough control without sacrificing power. I really like rpm black in my crosses, as even though the string will bag out and drop a ton of tension, it's still stiff enough to play with when it's old. Is it as good as a fresh bed of vs and alu power? No. But after it's been used a few times or has been sitting the stiffer setup I find to be better
Florian Goethals sorry for any typos and if that's a little confusing. Not as good at replying on my cell
Racquet Tech thanks a lot for your reply, I am using a wilson PS97 and I use rpm blast as string in it at 24 kgs but it is a bit tiring for my arm I guess. When I play tournaments I get pain in my arm and shoulder. I'd like to keep the control ans spin but with the possibility to swing slower. I put a quite a lot of spin in my shots and love coming to the net.
I thought it would be a good idea to use a multi or gut in a hybrid.
Since I saw this chinese frame I was thinking of buying one, because the wilson QC isn't good anyway and so it's also cheaper. How does it compare to the regular ps97?
Thanks a lot I love your videos!
Florian Goethals stock for stock they seem pretty similar. I mean two of mine have about a 320sw. Not sure what twist weight is exactly stock. The one in this video was lighter by quite a bit in swingweight and had a different finish.
As for the arm stuff, I would really start by looking at technique. Sounds like you might have some excessive range of motion as I had arm pain and shoulder pain from those issues. It can be difficult to tell, but sometimes just reaching that extra bit backwards, or trying to flick your wrist into the ball, can cause a lot of issues, light or heavy racquet a like. Also make sure your shoulders aren't hunched over. If they are, there's a good chance your arm pain is linked to your shoulder lacking some stability. Strengthening the rotator cuff and the muscles that pull your shoulder blade back could fix this. All injuries are complex so coming up with a solution is even more complex. Some cases the racquet is purely to blame and can provide most if not all the remedy. Others it requires racquet changes, rest, strengthening and technique retooling. That's what I'm doing this go around.
Racquet Tech I've had this issue for my hole competing tennis life and my friends also so I don't think it is my technique, it isn't painful when I am warmed up correctly.
when was testing a higher TW it was much less painful. I think it's the comfort of the racquet that's the issue with the strings involved for sure, I used solinco TB soft.
So I think i'll be looking for an arm friendly control string or a control oriented hybrid
Do you have any ideas for these strings? If it could not cost too much it would be great :)
Thank you for replying it's very informative ! :D
You could use kirshbaum max power rough it plays very similar and last longer than alu rough
where did you get this blacked out racket from ?
Ali Express!
Racquet Tech how has the racquet held up with use? Does it feel "legit" for the sake of argument. These type of racquets are intriguing to me but now if it will break down....thank you ahead of time. And could you link to the exact racquet?
Great video!
Is the PS97 "Phantom" still holding up?
I missed where you got the knock off racquet. Pls. Share as I would like to DYI what you taught.
Ali Express!
Hey, are you still using this racket until now? If yes, can you comment on how it feels now compared to few years ago. Would like to know more about the durability and quality of the frame. Thanks!
I haven't been able to put as much time on court as I would have liked, however the frame so far has held up excellent under all kinds of abuse. So far I'm quite impressed
I still plan on doing a "review" of the frame/fed setup. And I will likely go over it again then
Thanks a lot for the response and looking forward to the updated review of the frame. Your channel is very informative and helpful!
@@stenizwahyudi7319 No problem glad I could share it with everyone, especially that it is helpful!
What is the difference of weight at the 7" mark versus near/in butt cap? Great videos!
He added weight in the head (tip) of the racquet until he got a 355 SW, and a static weight of 364, but in this case the balance point was 30.9, in order to get a higher balance point ( of 32.2 ) you have to take off some weight from near the but cap and move it towards the balance point. Hope I didn't get it wrong.
+RaresTV Ok. So it's just to adjust the balance. Got it! Thanks.
Rares is correct. It was to alter the balance. In this case it was to change to feds specs exactly. But in terms of physics, it's going to boost the angular frequency of the racquet. Meaning the racquet will come around "quicker" or "sooner" through the wrist. The MGR/I video covers this topic to an extent, but it does impact the way the racquet feels while you swing it. The difference before and after this mod, was very very noticeable. Even though I increased the swing weight, the racquet feels very much faster now than before.
It's a subtle difference, however if you have the right mechanics in your stroke, it can definitely boost your topspin, and help your timing. To others, the added weight at the 7" mark doesn't really do much to help. It really depends on the player. I've always found with my semi eastern (knuckle on bevel edge before SW), this higher mgr/i really helps me produce a lot of heavy topspin, and I'm a fan of that kind of modification. Again, a lower mgr/i value can work too, and still can produce heavy topspin, but I don't personally time the ball as predictably (with changing direction etc etc at full RHS).
MGR/I is a great tool to help find the racquet angular frequency that works best for you. I do believe finding the right number for you can absolutely improve your timing in the forehand to be more natural. In this case, I think it's important, and it's that balance point that separates this racquet setup from a lot of the ones you see on forums trying to "re-create" fed's stick. Sure you can boost mgr/i from a racquet with a lower balance, but you're going to have extra mass, which will change not only where the nodes are on the racquet, but the feel on contact, and the maneuverability of the frame.
Hey, good to see you are still active with the racket. Quick question - when you bought the official grommet set on Ebay, did you just buy official pro staff 97 grommets?
Yes they're the same or were the same across the ps97 and rf97
Have You measured stiffness raiting of this racket? I imagine it having lower twist weight than Wilson 97S. How about flex ?
The twist weight is lower for sure. I haven't measured the RA; I don't own an RDC (they're like 8 grand). I probably won't measure it. In my experience RA is one of the most useless numbers haha. It measures the hoop stiffness, but that tells you very little about the racquet, as neck stiffness changes power and feel a lot too. If I had to guess it feels about in the upper 60's for RA, but again feel changes a lot due to resonant frequency (which is determined by the weight in the frame).
tempted to buy it from aliexpress, but I wouldn't be able to drill out those metal bits from a handle :/ I am looking forward to your test!
Well I'll be the first to let everyone know if it breaks.
The racquet played well without moving the weight from inside the lower handle up to the 7" mark. It doesn't feel as quick (because of the lower angular frequency), but it was maneuverable and felt nice for sure. Just a matter of whether it holds up or not!
What's the weight of full set Wilson grommet?
I wrote it down on the table, and it got smeared, but it looks like 10.1g for the bumper, 1.4g for the throat piece, and 3.5g for the sides. At least that's what it looks like.
I think every single racket is different, even if you have two exact frames of the same vendor. I´ve played tennis for many years and I´ve had a dozen pairs (of the same model) of rackets, and every time, I´ve found that every single racket has it´s own orientation. In order to feel comfortable, many times, the No. 1 racket has to be held upwards (taking the logos as a reference) and the No. 2 racket should be held downwards compared to No. 1. If it happens that I hold the No. 2 racket upwards, it feels awkward. In order to this doesn´t happen during a match, I have a sticker on the side of each racket that says UP. Before serving or receiving I check if I´m holding the stick correctly. None of my friends does this. Am I the only one?
No, you're right. Every racquet ends up very different. I've had 3 racquets from same place bought at nearly the same time. One was 340sw, the other was 325~sw, and the other 33X~. Stock they were totally different. It's very common. Learning to measure your racquets can help you figure out the middle ground and modify them to match
Thanks. A friend of mine says I´m too picky about those details. And I think that it really depends of each player. Some are not affected, but in my case it´s definitely noticeable, I feel the differences in the court.
Miguel Barahona The better you are, the more you can get out of the racquet from what I've seen. I can play with any racquet you give me, from a woodie to a 10 oz racquet (Tried one that was un released by wilson way back when I worked for a retailer). I could hit the ball in, top spin, flat etc etc. But I can do a hell of a lot more with one of my own racquets. I think that's the thing people miss
Hi Racquet Tech. This may be going off topic a bit here, but what do you think the swingweight of Milos Raonic's racquet is? From the way he hits the ball, I'm guessing it would be pretty high. By the way, I love your videos.
Hey thanks man, I appreciate it. And I honestly don't know. I wish I could tell you. Safe to say it's going to be over 350. Even nishikori (probably one of the smallest guys at the top), is using 350. So someone like milos is probably way up there. Wouldn't be surprised to see 360 or even more.
What stringing machine are you using? Super interesting content !!
Any more thoughts on the aliexpress racket
I like them. Structurally they're as good as any other racquet I've owned. Paint seems to be real strong, at least for the money. Can't say for sure how it compares to an rf97a because I haven't owned one, but they're good sticks. You can also order them without the weight in the handle if you just ask. So I have had a great experience with them. That doesn't mean everyone else will.
@@RacquetTalk mate can you link or tell me what to search to get the racquet without the weight in the handle? I'm also looking at the Yonex vcore 98
@@Ryezn5057 I just bought it on aliexpress. If you ask the manufacturer to not put the weight in the handle they will do that for you.
do u know yonex duel g racket is the same as the one wawrinka uses?
It's not. I think the main spacing should be similar, but wawrinka uses something that's based off the old vcore 95d. The new SV 95 would be a closer pick. How close, I don't know.
i play with yonex v core tour 97...the old red and white one prior to the HG orange one that replaced it...both used in succession by wawrinka...is yonex in ur opinion the best..tightest spec frame out there? highest quality? would really like to discuss live...watched alot of ur vids...want to MOD my rackets...i always knew the pros used magic weapons...now it's my turn....i am 5.0. any way to talk? u have a shop? u in AZ?
Vereinigte Lands I'm in california. I've been debating opening up my services to online people, and also doing consulting online (with a dedicated racquet modification program to get people where they want to be more easily). But I'm not sure how much interest there will be
Vereinigte Lands
Vereinigte Lands
Prince OS straight shaft graphite 107 - 12.8 oz : 362 grams Favorites nice classic feel , but demanding after few hrs of play .strung at 57 ibs
Can you do a video on making a PS97 to fabfed specs.
The ps97 and this racquet seemed to have nearly identical stock specs, so if you follow most of these guidelines you should be there... I just don't know how the handle is weighted in that racquet... Without a ps97 to gut, I really can't say for sure. Sorry I can't be more help than that.
Racquet Tech That’s what I was wondering is how much weight is already in the handle because there is some. I thought about adding more but didn’t know where. I can send you a new PS97 (red/black) and you can set it up to RF specs for me! Then send it back
Racquet Tech as of now I’m not sure how much lead to put at 12 o’clock because I know RF has some up there but just not sure how much. Any idea
Pitao sam ekipu iz Wilsona, direktno, koliko je Twistweight od RF97A, i rekli su mi da je 13.9
Svi su drugaciji, Kad ima manje SW normalno ima manje TW, Ali ne uvek, Znaci uglavnom odredena varijansom proizvodnje
Pitajte ih sta je SW, Isto naci ces neki broj ko ne odrazava za sve
Racquet Tech hvala ti za info :-) odlicna videa na tu temu
A da te pitam. Igram sa federerovim kfactor tour90 i s ovim novim crnim rf97a
Totalno drgaciji frame.... trebat ce mi vrimena da se naviknem , ovi tanji frame ne prasta greske
@@silviosarunic6709 Pa da to je problem! 100%... crni ema visi TW pa onda igre i oceca drugacije. Ali moras da merite ova dva sw da znas dali su isti. Emam jedan video da napravim oko spin... ali visi twist weight znaci da je tesi da se napravi spin u poredenju sa manji twist weight
I too bought one of these racquets.. and yep, the balance is insanely low below 31 even when strung, and especially after you add the overgrip
Someone just messaged me and let me know that they asked the weight to be removed, and they made the racquet without the weight. So that's pretty cool. I didn't know
Racquet Tech that’s pretty sweet good to know! Cheers. I was thinking of asking them that but since you said they came from a legit manufacturer I thought they wouldn’t be able to do it.
Btw, your video on recoil weight has disappeared. Did you remove it?
Yeah unfortunately I did! It came up on a recommended video when I was streaming YT from my phone to my tv. I hit delete thinking it would remove it from the queue it was on. Instead it deleted it from my channel. It was a pretty big face palm. I can look but I'm pretty sure I don't have it saved on a HD anywhere.
I really didn't think I could delete videos on my phone, on the queue list just by pressing the 3 dots on the right... But it's my fault. So... RIP. I'll have to make another one.
where are you guys getting these from?
like your vids very much - thanks for taking the effort to introduce us recreational players to this topic. now, i have 2 questions:
1. how do you recommend to proceed to figure out ones own specific specs?
2. recently i was shown a wilson racquet in the burn look, that apparently was available only if you were within the top 200. apart from the fact that the frame was not at all a burn frame, but much more a pro staff frame (maybe even an older one), what striked me, was the fact that it was 1 cm longer than the standard racquets (!). ever heard about something like that? in fact, i must admit, that i instinctivly found myself think about sampras, when i heard this. to me his motion always looked very much as he was using a longer racquet. but maybe that was due to his peculiar style and swing.
1 I think I have a two part video on it, but I'll give you a quick summary (because they are long).
First, move your swing weight up as high as you can use effectively. This number over time will increase as you learn to adjust for the increased power, and the extra preparation/mechanical changes you need to make to make it work consistently. This will give you more power in various ways, and adding weight at 12 specifically will help enhance the racquets max potential spin. It will also help you handle bigger hitters, especially in situations when you are using an abbreviated stroke. Several people I've talked with over the last few months have slowly gone up from 330, to 340, and now are using 350. Everyone progresses differently, there is no set rule on what is your max SW. That is for you to decide, however it's best to go as high as you can.
Then adjust twist weight (while adjusting weight at 12 for swing weight). If you add weight at 3/9 you'll want to lower the weight at 12, so you can keep the swing weight at a fixed number. The twist weight is how forgiving the racquet is outside the sweet spot (to left and right of it). This will be a bit more simple, as you will easily tell when you start dropping balls short, or the frame is twisting a lot in your hands, while you loose power. If you aren't sure, one easy trick is to put a bunch of stencil ink in the middle of your frame. Within a hitting session or two, you can start to see how often you hit outside the sweet spot. If the whole string bed is equally bare, then chances are you'll benefit from higher twist weights. So try adding more weight at 3/9, and see if it helps get you power, or not really. One downside here is it can hurt the maneuverability (depending on the player this can be fine, or make the racquet difficult to use).
Next add weight to the handle. Look up my recoil weight video. There are some draw backs to adding weight to the handle, but you have to add quite a lot (upwards of 20 grams at the bottom) before it really becomes a problem. This is how you can adjust the comfort of the racquet. Higher recoil weight will give you more stability, and will help with volleys/returns most noticeably. Technically the bottom of the handle is best for increasing comfort, but adding weight at 7" mark can work too, just not as well per gram...
Then go into mgr/i to adjust how the racquet feels swinging through contact. Simply add weight at 7" to start. If the racquet feels any better, then you know that mgr/i is something that can help you, if not don't worry about it. This is probably the hardest to figure out for some people.
2 Yes this is pretty common for the wilson racquets. I believe gulbis nishikori etc use similar racquets to what you're describing. Maybe not exact model but yes similar. I'm sure the forums have more information. I don't really put too much time in worrying about what frame specificaly pro's use exactly; if I can't get it for a reasonable price or at all, it just has no use for me. I focus on the things I can change, like the weight. We can recreate/try out pro weight specs, but buying some specific pro stock frame, is a goose chase I don't think is really worth it. But I'm sure there are others out there that could tell you what mould that would be, sorry I can't be of any more help. As for sampras, I do believe he used a standard length racquet, but I'm no expert on his kit. It could very well be the way he held the racquet that gave him that look, or his mechanics.
thx man, that's great practical advice. is there any particular advice with respect to individual technique (e.g. one handed backhand vs two hander) or playing style (serve&volley vs baseline)?
2 yeah, that's definitely something very difficult to get, and therefore useless for most of us. i just was amazed by the fact, that apparently racquet customization is such a big issue, that it goes way beyond what is available to most recreational players. and if pro's and the industry take this effort, it means that it's definitely worth it
I wish I could say yes or no, but there are exceptions to all players. Things I would say are going to translate universally, is a smaller grip size plays much better with lower twist weights, and generally for someone who's very topspin oriented. The added vertical racquet head speed of a topspin oreinted player will naturally give the racquet more "stability" as opposed to a flatter stroke. The smaller grip size will get you more force coupling in the wrist, so should generate more spin. You can try just using a thinner replacement grip, and wrapping the over grip with less overlap. Also adding weight purely at 12 keeps the maneuverability high, boosts the power at the tip best (you want high contact on the racquet for more spin production) so that makes it a good choice for spin players.
If you're a flatter hitter, then experiment with higher twist weights (this seems to help most players on their 2hbh because that's naturally a flat shot anyway). Also when going to higher twist weights, don't hesitate to just put another overgrip on top of your last overgrip when it comes time to replace the first overgrip. A larger grip size will make a higher twist weight much easier to use. I will even wrap my over-grips differently for higher twist weights, just to get a bit more grip size. That will be very useful for getting the racquet to maneuver easier. Weight at 3/9 won't dramatically raise the sweet spot, which works for flatter hitters who don't use the tip of the racquet for spin as often.
Beyond that, there is no sort of universal rule. If you're curious where to go for swing weight, try just a mere 10 points above what you're using. This can be accomplished by simply putting a dampener (3g-4g) above the top cross. Takes no time or cost to do if you already have a dampener.
Yeah I was pretty frustrated and amazed by it too. When I had my 90's I thought fed used those frames stock, and that I had a stick that had no "skill cap" so to speak. Yet I found myself frustrated not able to recreate even the light wrist flicks fed did; where nearly no racquet head speed was involved.
interesting stuff about the low twist weight in relation to topspin. does that apply also to slice? i have removed the dampener (frankly for reasons of "sound" and not weight) and at the same time added a leather grip and 8 g of lead on the handle of my 315 g pro staff. to me that didn't sound like a massive customization - but i was wrong. the racquet changed very much. and so did my shots. suddenly i was able to create much more topspin. and i'm talking about an immediate change, without any changes in my technique. this in turn made my game much more consistent, as the heavier topspin helped a lot to keep the shots in the field, instead of going long. with regards to the volleys i feel some handling improvement, but still i am not really able to "drive" the volleys the way i want.
i wonder how this relates to string tension. is it necessary to adapt string tension to a customized racquet? with the possible exemption of federer, most pro's use a very high string tension. when i play off the shelf racquets with string tensions in the higher 20ies (kg), it feels like i'm not able to generate any power (or at least not the power i'm aiming for). given that pro's go well into the 30ies with their tension, i wonder if this is due to their customized racquets, which might need to be "tamed".
marilln Hell yeah man! That's awesome! I love hearing people try things out and see an improvement. You just massively boosted that recoil weight, so what you're feeling is a boost in stability. I would say next try just 3 grams at the tip. That's going to increase the spin production, power and stability even more. It really will feel like a completely different racquet.
I just want to say, you don't need a low twist weight for lots of topspin. Even weight at 3/9 can get you a huge boost in topspin. It's just a stylistic preference. I've hit with guys who hit tons of top, with lots of weight at 3/9. The end swing weight is really what's important. But, low twist weight just allows you to put a bit more weight right at the tip, which will maximize the spin potential of the frame (because of hitting weight at the tip etc).
Anything that will produce more topspin, will absolutely boost slice. In fact, what helped my slice most was increasing weight at the tip. I've hit literal slice winners against some pretty good players, just knifing the ball as hard as I could back to them (he lined up for a forehand and just completely whiffed, I know he didn't like that!).
As for string tension; swing weight increases the load on the strings, so they do get stretched more. They then have more power and strings die faster (why pro's replace their racquets much more often than rec players). But as the p1 guys advise, you should use the lowest string tension (and for that matter softest string) you can control and keep the ball in. I'll have to do a video about swing weight and the stringbed, because it's a little more complicated than just what I've said. But yes a lot of people like to switch to a higher tension, or stiffer string when they use higher swing weights.
Thank you for your videos RT!
Ive been looking for great info about this all in one place. I have two Q:
1.What starting racket weight would you recommend to start with (with the intention to go up to 360 sw with it)?
2. can only the leather grip enough weight on the handle?
1 The higher your target swing weight, the more racquets in total you can start with. With a 360, almost any racquet should be fine. The other stats, like static weight you will have to watch out for. But for 360 swing weight target, almost any racquet you buy can get you there and be ok. Aside from some kind of factory super freak 360 should be fine for anything.
2 Yes it can be enough, especially with an over-grip, BUT it entirely depends on what specs you want at the end of it, and depends on what racquet you start with. On a graphene prestige, you'll probably want more. On a yonex dual g 330, probably is enough. Just depends on the exact situation. But in short, it could be enough.
Thank you !
What's the optimal range for the static weight?
I know it depends on things but can you specify a range?
Well it depends on what you want in the end. But I would say close to 12oz would be fine (12.1 12.2 11.9). If you're at 12.5oz stock, with modification it can get a bit too high. But there are no set rules. Because if you are starting at 320 swing weight and static is already 12.6 that's not great. But if you're starting lets say 340 and 12.5oz that's great. See what I mean?
You can always add more weight, it's very hard to remove it. So if you're ever un sure better to pick the lighter frame.
Thank you!
So they offer two version of this `fake` Roger raket one is 315 g and the other is 340 g (unstrung). I suppose it's better to get the lighter model and spec it yourself?
That's what I would recommend personally. That will also give you the freedom to try all the different setups. One racquet can play well at any setup you want. That way you can learn not only how radically the weight distribution effects hitting characteristics/feel/maneuverability, but you'll have to buy the least amount of frames to end up finding your favorite setup.
@@RacquetTalk Thanks mate! Yeah on closer thought I think I'll opt out of getting these chinese knock offs because I'm worried about quality control. THe Pro staff 97 Countervail seems like a good option to add weight to and customize. I'm also kinda debating about the Vcore 98 .
@@Ryezn5057 get whatever you want really doesnt matter. The three I bought and the apd I got from there have been as good quality as any retail stick I've owned.
@@RacquetTalk Interesting, it seems some haven't been as lucky tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/knockoff-ps97-vs-retail-ps97-rf97.590895/
Can I ask you customization questions here in the comments of your videos, although it haven't anything in common with the theme of the video?
Go for it man
Do you use TW tool (manual in this case) to customize racquets or do you do calculate with another method?
I explain my doubt with a practical example of TW manual tool:
I am going to add 4g of lead tape 3 and 9 oclock position, and I cut 4 portions of lead of aprox. 10cm long (exact number is irrelevant). This tape cover 10cm of frame lenght. When you introduce lenght position of the added weight: is correct to put the middle point of the lenght this tape cover? If I am going to add 20 cm of tape take the middle point is precise enought? I am not sure, but I think in longer lenght, specs will be less precise.
Also I think precision varies depending where you put the weight, because the shape of the frame is different at 3/9 oclock or at 12 oclock, this change the weight distribution depending the area to add weight.
I do use that tool! The customization sheet specifically. It's probably the best one I've used actually. I can also do several calculations in my head or by hand now, but I like the tool because it's organized and always gets it right.
And you're totally right. This is something I talked about in my video about customizing like the pros. You are supposed to use the midpoint of the length of the strip as your weight "location" but as the strip gets longer, it doesn't remain accurate, especially in terms of twist weight and other things.
If I'm ever in doubt, I break up the strips into smaller 4.25" lengths using each strip's midpoint, and adjust the lengths used, and widths used. This seems to be accurate enough even when adding a lot of weight in different locations.
Like in this video I added close to 16g at the tip under the bumper. Obviously that not only doesn't fit in one layer, but it isn't going to be just 4" wide. So to compensate, I break the strips into segments when I calculate them, to get a better representation of how it changes the racquet. Because there are several grams that aren't at that 27" location (just like you said, the racquet has curvature), also meaning they aren't at the 0" width position, but actually quite wide on the frame.
Hopefully what I said makes sense. But you're totally right in that if you have a very long strip, using the exact midpoint won't be accurate. I've seen MRT's get trained to do so, and it's really stupid!
Thank you always is a pleassure!!!
Yeah I think in segments idea before, is precise but makes me feel veeeeeery lazy. You only can add 5 or 6 rows per page and you should open a lot of pages copying results... I will work in this deeper to be more accurate, fast and efficient in the future.
Think in P1 and other proffessional customers methods makes me feel so curious and I would like to know how they really work...
Again, thank you sooooo much, I will ask you another interesting question soon (probably in relation with your next video) :P
I picked up a 2015 PS RFA for 70€ in slightly used condition and, although I understand it most likely doesn't actually play like Roger's racket, it does play well to me in stock form. Not too different from my Prince Response 97 which has some lead tape added in the hoop. I do think paying over 200€ for ANY racket is a bit of a rip off though.
Yeah have to agree with you there.
As for the rfa, I mean, it's got good stability, and high swing weight so it's better than most for sure.
Ahem, Higher* swing weight I meant to say ;)
ppm120667 yeah high swing weight just feels so good. And the extra power/spin it provides is unparalleled. I'd love to have a shop and do consulting for people. If there's enough interest it's something I'll do legitimately. All while making videos about it. Either way glad to hear you have some sticks you enjoy
Where are the leather powerpads
Ah I never felt they changed the feel at all, and their mass is so little I just left them out!
Wilson adds 20 grams or so to the prostaff 97 calls it the autograph and sells it for 25$ more... genius
Yes and then tw claims its identical spec to what roger uses to win majors with. Maybe the same frame but specs... no
@@RacquetTalk pretty sad actually....
@@Ryezn5057 yeah. I posted about this a lot on the forums. "People" just attacked me, never got a straight answer from p1 and then I got IP banned for months. But that's how the game goes!
@@RacquetTalk wow, tw forums? What's p1?
@@Ryezn5057 p1 are the guys who setup/weight and string Roger's sticks
I use mi racquets at 380gr for matches and 375gr for practice, super head ligth, all with 27kg of tension, i'm going to buy the new prostaff rf 97, an add whey in the handle.
Where's the review!!
Hi,how much weight should I add to the handle of my pro staff 97S to be more whippy/head light as I find it a litle head heavy for me, other than that racket is a beast.
Depends on how much head light you want! You could try 10 grams at 7" then try again at the bottom of the handle. The 7" location can make a racquet feel faster depending on how you swing at the ball. The bottom of the handle location (trap door) will give you a great stability boost, but might not necessarily make the racquet feel faster.
+Racquet Tech How should I do it since I have never customize a racquet .Should I put lead tape under the replacment grip ? And how will that feel since it would increase the thickness of the upper part of the grip..is it easy to adjust to it...thanks and greetings from Croatia. Pozdrav
Endrit Muhadri Yeah you can put it under the grip (not the over grip, the replacement like you said). That is the best place to put weight higher up on the handle. As for weight that'son the lower part of the handle, inside is better. For weight on the inside of the handle, buying tungsten putty, or tungsten weight tabs (made for golf clubs) to put on the trap door that pops off the racquet, is the best. Lead tape doesn't like to stick to the inside of the handle.
And yes putting weight under the grip will make it thicker. This seems to be fine at the top of the handle, because the grip naturally tapers down here, and most people don't hold the grip at the very top of the handle. Only way to know if it's a problem is to try it! I don't mind it at all on my backhand.
Endrit Muhadri It's challenging to secure weight at the top of the handle on the inside, so I don't recommend it, but you could try.
what do you consider to be a low twistweight?
also how did you take 5 grams out of the handle?
didnt adding the leather grip to the handle alter the twistweight? were the specs pre grip? or for a racquet including the leather overgrip
Racquets that are below roughly 13 or maybe 13.5 I would consider low twist weight. So like the original babolat aero pro, or aero pro cortex.
I took 27 ish grams out of the handle, and then replaced them higher up on the handle at the 7 inch mark... Do you mean the 5 grams I took out after stringing? I had originally placed 10 grams at the 7" mark, before I restrung the frame with the new grommets. So I took them out there, because I added weight with the new grommets/new strings
And no, leather grip should not increase twist weight. Not to any noticeable level. It's a very very small distance from the center axis of the frame. Unlike lead tape at 12 which in this case extended 6 inches out to the sides. Does that make sense?
+Racquet Tech yes that makes sence i only asked because the tennis warehouse manual calculator showed significant increase when i apply a leather grip, it threw off all the specs for me lol. personally im trying to make a similar frame with a pure control or a pure control tour
antonio la guardia Hm. Just don't put a value in for width. I mean theoretically any weight that isn't perfectly exactly on the imaginary point that would define where that central axis is, would increase it, but it's very very small for the grip. Nothing I would say is worth calculating. I've never put too much thought into it, but since it's not really something you can avoid other than going to a lighter grip (which in many cases will ruin other desired specs like in this case), just skip it
hi @Racquet Tech are ok cause you havent posted in like a year
George Whitelaw I'm coming back don't worry. And this time I'm here to do some serious work
What a umbelieveble video!!!
Can yo make the same with nadal raquet?
PLEASE YOUR VIDEO IS AMAZING!!!
rafanadal_ tenischanel definitely would like to. I got my hands on some courtballistec 2.3's as well. I'm working on getting an APD original in a 1/4 grip size. If I can get a clean one, I'll order a Chinese one too and we can do this style video but even better
sorry i put a dislike unintentionally.
That would be awesome, please get the raquet and show as. You are umbelievle!!!
HEAVY RACKETS , Jack Kramer Staff 85 ( St Vincent ) 361 grams - 12.7 oz , wilson pro staff 85 taiwan , 12.3 oz-349 grams
Why would a recreational player go to such lengths to customize a frame to match that of a pro player?
To show that the rf97a is a marketing trick. Thanks for stopping by!
Yes, instead, you should try to custom your weapons (tennis rackets, hehe) to your own style of play. And these videos are great for it.
Looking forward to your new videos. Racquet modification in depth maybe..It is too heavy for 330+ grams.hmm
Good work from you! That makes me wonder what is the meaning of branding when racket brands after all are actually making rackets from pros requirements which means there is a chance that even a Wilson racket can also be a Babolat racket, it is just a matter of demand. Just like you made the "federer's racket" from scratch
Yeah you're right. The meaning of a racquet brand really comes down to like stringbed design choice and racquet shapes I feel like. Which seems a bit silly compared to what they make them out to be.
Weiscannon is pronounced 'wisecanon' just for your information :D good job on the customisation!
That's perfect, I needed to hear the correct way! Hahaha, and thanks, I try to get every detail
Lmao the rf97a is the same racquet as rogers except for rogers having lead tape and the retail (maybe) having a higher twist weight.
I bought 5 wilson rf97 autograph rackets . 3 weight the same but play completely different,the other 2,s weight differers aswell. I have one with perfect swingweight,solid and plays like an extension of my arm.The others are flimsy in tge hoop,no ploughtrough,balls pops up with no pace,only spin and cant handle heavy balls. Wilson quality control is so bad.We will never know if they made feds real racket available for the public.They all differ
So yes,ive wasted so much money,ive tried to add leadtape but makes no difference as the flex and feel differs aswell,. I also dont know where to put the weight so the other rackets can feel like the good one.
Yeah wilson needs to get on that. Id buy from them if it was good
wilson pro staff 6.0 , 86 , 255 grams !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice video ... also 6:08 dem Casey Neistat glasses
charles pinto I've actually painted them 6 different times. Each time a different color and scraped it off. When I worked at TW someone thought I left them (before I had painted them), at work. Took a pair home to realize they weren't mine. Saw Casey's video and said that's a great way to not lose your glasses! Mainly just because I've had girls steal some of my other favorite glasses :/
Super interesting. One thing, is any of this really necessary for a rec player? I doubt it. I'm sure federer could destroy any rec player with the worst racquet specs. So perhaps the point is keep, practicing.
Is it necessary for a rec player to do fitness drills? Like jumprope? Or speed ladder? Or lift weights? Depends on who you ask.
If you spend years of your life, and actually are interested in playing anywhere near your best, it's worth getting a racquet that has a higher swing weight setup for you or setting it up yourself 100%.
On the other hand, if you play "tea party tennis" as I call it, where you spend most of your time chatting with friends, probably you should just stick to whatever color string and racquet you like and just have fun. Nothing wrong with that for the most part, but a lot of people spend a lot of time and effort on their game. Not having the right racquet is a major dis-service to the player. And I'll be spending a lot more time talking about this in the future.
Everyone loves to come on here and talk about anecdotal experience. Well I have seen players below the 2.0 level hit the ball cleaner and more consistently after swapping them to higher swing weights (or just adding weight to their racquet). Same with 3.0 players, and same with 4.0 and 4.5 players. It's easier for me because I can tell what a player needs or how to adjust it easily, but none the less, if you spend year of your life learning to play, you absolutely should be using a higher swing weight.
no weight added all rackets stock form
350 SW wow...
Demo the babolat pure drive and aero drive , felt too light and no feel did not like them , most pro do not play with actual rackets all paint jobs and all heavy , Del potro racket paint job with pws and lead tape added
my prince graphite OS is 260 grams!!!!!!!!!!!!
Power pads....
Tried them many times. Don't seem to do anything I can notice!
nice Casey Neistat glasses
Haha thanks man. It's a perfect theft deterrent (writing your name and painting all over them). Do recommend! I'm still bitter about someone stealing my last pair of nice sun glasses. Makes for a great excuse to have something different. Besides, all the looks from the older people when you show up to the tennis club are priceless
+Racquet Tech I say: a racquet with this weight
+Racquet Tech Where I can buy a racquet like this, to modify it?
vraf2027 tennis warehouse. best place ever!
Elias Walker vraf2027 lmao I'm pretty sure elias is just kidding. Ali Express has this kind of thing on it.
that's called real modification.. hah.. maybe you should start making racquets from.. scratch? (you're already good in scratching)
iG W I've looked into it! Even looked into trying to find a way to get racquets from a manufacturer in China. If there's enough interest I'll figure something out. Until then these racquets are good enough for me
"The racquet definitely has a low, low twist weight."
"The racquet plays amazing."
That doesn't really make sense as one of the key points of the RF97 is it's rock solid stability ie high twistweight. Kudos to you for giving it a go but the layup of these copycat frames are very different causing it to be very flexy in comparison to the pretty stiff RF97.
If you wanted to hit Federer's specs (and not sure why you'd want to do that since you don't play like him, or have his physique, skills, physicality etc), you would have been better off trying to mod a PS97, rather than drilling out metal shanks from this.
Federers "physique and physicality" lol, the guy has arms like strings of spaghetti.
i have a wilson jack kramer staff 86 , 261 grams !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Those are some pretty light racquets. Good that they're working out well for you sounds like!
Correction !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So you spit out a lot of excellent mathematical info then you use the words "these ones". Very funny.
Chuck these ones over here right here are the good ones ;)
I no longer believe these specs to be close to federers specs. After analyzing his swingspeed and increased defensive play I"m leanigng towards the camp of him using a higher twistweight, lower swingweight spec more closely resenbling the retail frame. this video however still serves as a nod to all players to modify their frames and explore with high swingweight/twistweight frames
where are you ? by the way you talk...drunk somehere, even worst....see how I look after 10 weeks constantky drunk. Hope you are better...
Lol I don't drink man. Shit kills me.