Professional tennis players customize the weight and swing weight of their rackets for several reasons. Customizing a racket can dramatically improve their performance on the court by adjusting the weight and swing weight of the racquet and fine-tuning it to their individual playing style and preferences. It also allows players with multiple rackets to match the playing characteristics of each frame. Many brands have a slight to significant variance "off the shelf" whilst some brands are better than others at minimising this, there can be variances of 10 grams in stated weights and this can cause major variances in playing characteristics and lead to players having "favourite" rackets! - not great if you break a string at 5-5 in the third set!
The static weight of the racket affects the player's ability to generate power and control the ball. A heavier racket will provide more power, but it will also be harder to control and potentially create swing technique or injury issues over time. On the other hand, a lighter racket will be easier to control but will not generate as much power or stability at contact - it will have less "plow through" on the ball. We can adjust the weight of the racket to find the perfect balance between power and control for your playing style.
Swing weight is a major factor that players consider when customizing their racket. Swing weight refers to the amount of effort required to swing the racquet. The rackets static weight doesn't reflect exactly where in the frame the weight is. As we swing we magnify this factor incrementally. It can be easily demonstrated if you imagine holding a hammer at the handle end and swinging it (will feel heavy) then hold the weighted end and swing - the hammer will feel light and yet the static weight is of course the same - this is swing weight! And its measured in tennis rackets of course form the handle (specifically a point 10 cm above the end of the handle)
A racket with a high swing weight will require more effort to swing, while a racquet with a low swing weight will be easier to swing. Your playing style, technique and physical attributes all contribute to what swing weight will work best for you.
Professional tennis players also customize the weight and swing weight of their racquets is to reduce the risk of injury. Tennis is a physically demanding sport and players are at risk of developing tennis elbow and other injuries if they use racquets that are too heavy or have a high swing weight. In contrast a low swing weight or static weight can result in the player over tightening their grip to compensate for twisting on impact and this can lead to prolonged elbow pain.
Whether you wish to make your new frame play more like your old model, match 2 or more frames to a baseline favourite, or just match your frames better to your playing style as your game evolves, contact us to discuss how we can get the best out of your rackets and game. Tennis players are never perfect off the shelf so don't expect your rackets to be!