Racket Customisation

Have a favourite racket?

When having multiple rackets, has it ever crossed your mind that one might not feel like another? You have a favourite that you go to all the time?

This is quite common, but it can be fixed. Racket customisation is something that we are getting asked to do on more regular basis now and is something which you may have noticed without even realising what it is you’re looking at. “What are those silver lines on the side of Djokovic’s racket?”

Manufacturers tolerances

Whilst rackets are being made, any manufacturer and any brand will give themselves a weight tolerance. For example, on the latest Wilson Blade v7 range, they have said each racket is +\- 5.5g. Therefore, if your racket weighs 305g, it could be anywhere between 299.5-310.5g… A huge difference, especially when you think if you have multiple rackets, one may be 299.5g, another could be 305g and your third might be 310.5g. A difference some players will certainly be able to notice. The most consistent brand, by far is Yonex. Their tolerance is around 1-2g, although, the majority of their frames are usually spot on as they manufacture their own rackets in Japan.

Pro stock rackets

Recently, we were sent some pro stock rackets to do some additional customisation on for a client. Pro stock rackets you ask? Essentially, these frames were specially made for a pro player. Whilst, they may look identical to a racket you can buy off the shelf, the spec can vary massively. The rackets were Head TGT345.1 frames in the G360 Prestige paint job.

Customisation – a personal choice

Customisation is a very personal choice. There is no right or wrong answer as we all prefer different characteristics in a racket. Our customer had previously had other pro stock frames and wanted a similar feel to that of his previous rackets. After working out where the lead was to be placed, the grommet strips were removed as the customer didn’t want any of the lead tape to be seen if we could help it to make the racket look as clean/shelf like as possible. The calf skin leather grips were removed, (yes, we were excited for these as much as the rackets!!) as lead tape was also to be placed in the handle. Silicone had already been applied inside of the handle to allow for no inflammation of the grip when you hold it.

Finished, customised rackets

After much tinkering, taking grommet strips/grips on and off, we achieved the desired spec. New over grips and stringing were then sorted.

Stringing used for these rackets was: Luxilon Alu Power 1.25mm x Toalson Mugen 1.30mm @ 50lbs.

These were by far our most favourite rackets that we have worked on. They ended up looking perfect with no signs of lead tape anywhere to be seen!

Want all of your rackets to feel the same?

If you’ve ever noticed or felt like there are differences in your rackets, drop us a message and we will be more than happy to help! Knowing that all your frames are absolutely identical when it comes to those big matches is important. You break a string on your favourite and you have to use another that just doesn’t feel quite right? Why not have all your frames as a favourite!