Should You Add Weight to Your Tennis Racket? Pros, Cons and Where to Put It
By Ben, PH Tennis
Quick Summary
The cheapest upgrade you can make to your racket costs less than £10. But should you add weight to your tennis racket?
My general viewpoint on customisation is no, you shouldn't. Almost every characteristic you're trying to change can be changed with your game or with a different racket. It is very, very unlikely that the biggest problem in your game is that you don't have 2 g of extra lead tape stuck to the side of your racket.
There are a few good reasons to do it, though:
- Matching two rackets so they play exactly the same. This is probably the best reason.
- Getting the right grip size when your perfect racket doesn't come in it.
- Budget. If you can't afford a different racket, it's a really cheap way to change the one you have.
I would avoid customising for performance. Use customisation to make sure everything is correct.
Watch the video above to see exactly where the weight goes on the racket.
Where to Add Weight at a Glance
| Where | What it does | The trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| 12 o'clock (the tip) | More momentum and way more power | You lose lots of manoeuvrability |
| 3 and 9 o'clock (the sides) | More stability, helps on off-centre hits, kills torque and twisting at contact | A heavier racket to swing |
| 10 and 2 o'clock | A hybrid of power and stability | A heavier racket to swing |
| The handle | Adds weight and stability, doesn't add much swing weight, helps manoeuvrability | Throws the balance off a little |
What This Is
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Players all over the world, at all kinds of levels, customise their rackets. The customisation we're talking about here is simply adding weight to the racket. You can add weight in different places to achieve different things. Players are trying to change the characteristics of their racket and how it plays. The aim isn't necessarily to make your racket heavier. It's to make it play better for you.
I'll explain how to do it, why to do it, and the pros and cons. Then you can see if you agree with me at the end or not.
My Verdict
I have always been of the opinion that no, you shouldn't customise your racket. If you start messing around with your racket, you're sort of leaving tennis behind and getting involved in racket development.
If you love the technology and you love tinkering, by all means. But most people started playing tennis, and keep playing, for the fun of the game. If the racket isn't helping you, maybe it's the wrong racket, or maybe it's the strings.
Get a tennis racket, find one you like, test them properly, then accept that you are responsible and enjoy playing tennis. Customise to make sure everything is correct, not for performance.
The Pros and Cons of Adding Weight
The pros are very simple. Make your racket a little heavier and you get more power, a bit more plough through, a bit more stability and a bit more feel.
The cons. All of those things make the racket a little harder to swing. You lose a little control, and in theory spin gets a bit harder to generate because the racket is less manoeuvrable.
It isn't quite as black and white as that, because it depends where you add the weight.
Where to Add Weight
12 O'Clock: For Power
Adding weight right at the tip of the racket means you get more momentum when you swing. You get way more power, but you lose lots and lots of manoeuvrability. So if you just want to hit the ball harder, and you don't mind about whipping it around or lots of feel and touch, add your weight at 12.
3 and 9 O'Clock: For Stability
Weight at the sides adds stability. It helps you on off-centre hits and essentially kills any torque and twisting at contact.
10 and 2 O'Clock: A Hybrid
Weight at 10 and 2 is kind of a hybrid of both: some of the power from the top, and some of the stability from the sides.
The Handle: For Manoeuvrability
This one is quite interesting. Adding weight in the handle makes the racket heavier and changes the balance significantly, but it doesn't affect the swing weight, because the weight is where your hand is. So the racket doesn't actually feel that much heavier. It helps with manoeuvrability, but it does throw the balance off a little.
A lot of doubles players put a lot of weight in the handle. They get the weight and stability in the racket, but they can still move it around quickly at the net.
So: top for power, sides for stability, handle for manoeuvrability. Actually quite straightforward.
When Customisation Makes Sense
For the purposes of balance, and to help you make your own decision, there are a few occasions where I've softened.
Matching Two Rackets
Tennis racket brands don't manufacture rackets perfectly. There are variations in the manufacturing process, so two of the same racket might not actually be the same.
That's why there's tape on our Babolat Pure Aero 98 string testing rackets. We had to match all the rackets together, and we used customisation to make them all the same. So if you've got two of the same racket, I'd suggest customising to make them match exactly. That's probably the best reason for customisation: to make your racket the spec you want, or to make both of your rackets the same spec.
Getting the Right Grip Size
Another good one, pointed out to me by our stringer: the racket that's right for you might not come in the right grip size. You can add grip overlays to your racket to make the handle bigger. For example, if your perfect racket is a Yonex EZONE 100L and you need a grip 4, which it doesn't come in, you can add a bigger grip to the handle. That's a customisation that's certainly worth it.
If You Can't Afford a Different Racket
It's a really cheap way of changing your racket. If you can't afford a different one, by all means. That's another very good reason to use customisation to help your game.
Why I'd Stop There
That's pretty much where it should stop. It's very, very unlikely that the biggest problem in your game is that you don't have 2 g of extra lead tape stuck to the side of your racket. Not saying never, but very, very unlikely.
The number of players I've seen using a lightweight racket with tape all over it. Just buy the heavier one. The number of players trying to add weight to hit harder, who keep overhitting, so they put some weight in the handle. Just have a lesson, or change your game a little.
I think it's one of those rabbit holes people fall down, and I'm sure it exists in all sports, where the tech and the equipment start to supersede the player and their technique. It's a very dangerous path to go down, and it makes you really, really boring. If you start talking to other people about your racket customisation, expect them to fall asleep and stop playing with you.
Don't spend the rest of your life worrying about the balance, adding a bit of weight here and a bit there. It just isn't going to make enough of a difference to significantly change your game.
Who Should Customise, Who Shouldn't
Customise if: you have two of the same racket and want them to match exactly, your perfect racket doesn't come in your grip size, you can't afford a different racket, or you genuinely love the technology and tinkering.
Don't customise if: you're trying to fix your game with equipment. If you're using a lightweight racket covered in tape, buy the heavier one. If you're overhitting, have a lesson. If the racket isn't helping you, it might be the wrong racket or the wrong strings.
Find the Right Racket Instead
Find one you like and test them properly. Our demo service lets you test any racket properly, wherever you are in the UK. Add £25 to any adult racket order and we string it, fit an overgrip, add protection tape and send it out. Get on court and test it properly. If it's wrong, return it for a full refund on the racket, minus strings and the demo fee. If it's right, we refund the £25.
Book a racket demo with PH Tennis
Not sure whether it's the racket or the strings? Book a one-to-one virtual consultation. We spend 20 minutes talking through your game, your current racket setup and strings, to guide you towards what you should be testing next.
FAQ
Should you add weight to your tennis racket?
Generally, no. Most changes you'd want can be made with your game or a different racket. The good reasons to customise are matching two rackets, getting the right grip size, or changing your racket on a budget.
What does adding weight to a tennis racket do?
More weight gives you more power, plough through, stability and feel. The trade-off is a racket that's harder to swing, with a little less control and spin.
Where should I add weight to my racket for power?
At 12 o'clock, the tip. You get more momentum and way more power, but you lose lots of manoeuvrability.
Where should I add weight to my racket for stability?
At 3 and 9 o'clock, the sides. It helps on off-centre hits and kills torque and twisting at contact. 10 and 2 o'clock gives you a hybrid of power and stability.
Does adding weight to the handle make a racket heavier to swing?
Not much. Weight in the handle changes the balance significantly but doesn't affect the swing weight, because it sits where your hand is. A lot of doubles players do this for stability without losing manoeuvrability at the net.
Why do two of the same racket feel different?
There are variations in the manufacturing process, so two of the same racket might not actually be the same. Customising with tape is the best way to match them exactly.
Can I make my racket's grip bigger?
Yes. If your racket doesn't come in your grip size, you can add a bigger grip to the handle. For example, the Yonex EZONE 100L doesn't come in a grip 4.
Where can I demo a tennis racket in the UK?
PH Tennis offers a UK-wide demo service. Add £25 to any adult racket order, and the racket is strung, gripped, taped and sent out. If it's not right, return it for a full refund minus strings and the demo fee. If it is, the £25 is refunded.
Find out about our demo service
Final Thoughts
That is just my opinion, and as I'm sure lots of you will, you can completely ignore me and go for it anyway. I'd just avoid customising for performance, and use customisation to make sure everything is correct.
Hope that helps. If I've missed anything out, put it in the comments on the video. If you agree with me, put it in the comments. If you disagree with me, you're going to put it in the comments regardless of what I say, so I look forward to reading that. Thank you very much for reading, and subscribe so you never miss a thing from Josh, Joe or me at PH Tennis.
About PH Tennis
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