head heavy/head light/even balanced

**hahahalol** · 04-16-2005, 05:17 PM

i was wondering at what point of a racket such as a conventional racket(67cm) to be head light/head heavy or balanced.....from the edge of the handle goin up to the shaft...

**Stijn** · 04-30-2005, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by hahahalol

i was wondering at what point of a racket such as a conventional racket(67cm) to be head light/head heavy or balanced.....from the edge of the handle goin up to the shaft...

Well, there are very few rackets where the balance point is located at the same position, so it's quite a difficult question.. Does this really matter?

**chickenpoodle** · 04-30-2005, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by bluejeff

Since we have seen lots of 300mm+ rackets here, a lot of people (including Yonex's official specs) are suggesting:

Head Light Balance: 285mm or less
Even Balance: 286mm to 295mm (or 300)
Head HeavyBalance: 300mm+

A lot of rackets nowadays have 310mm or even 315mm+, so, 295mm is really just a small case here

.

**Neil Nicholls** · 05-01-2005, 05:59 AM

Originally Posted by bluejeff

Head Light Balance: 285mm or less
Even Balance: 286mm to 295mm (or 300)
Head HeavyBalance: 300mm+

what state is the racquet in when this measurement is taken though?
strung or not?
no grip on the handle?

balance points of my racquets, strung, couple of layers of electrical insulation tape on the handle + 1 Karakal Super Pu grip

supposedly head-light racquets
Carlton AS-1 256mm
Carlton AS-1 260mm

supposedly even racquets
Carlton AS-Ti 256
Carlton AS-Ti 258
Carlton AS-Ti 261
Carlton Aerogear 1000FX 259
Yonex MP100 262

supposedly head-heavy racquets
Yonex Ti10 275
Monsoon 3000Ti 279
Carlton Airblade Yong Hock Kin 282
Carlton Airblade Rasmussen Superlite 296

**hahahalol** · 05-01-2005, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by Neil Nicholls

what state is the racquet in when this measurement is taken though?
strung or not?
no grip on the handle?

balance points of my racquets, strung, couple of layers of electrical insulation tape on the handle + 1 Karakal Super Pu grip

supposedly head-light racquets
Carlton AS-1 256mm
Carlton AS-1 260mm

supposedly even racquets
Carlton AS-Ti 256
Carlton AS-Ti 258
Carlton AS-Ti 261
Carlton Aerogear 1000FX 259
Yonex MP100 262

supposedly head-heavy racquets
Yonex Ti10 275
Monsoon 3000Ti 279
Carlton Airblade Yong Hock Kin 282
Carlton Airblade Rasmussen Superlite 296

i guess just the frame of the racket..stock grip..no string..no added accessories

**hahahalol** · 05-01-2005, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by Stijn

Well, there are very few rackets where the balance point is located at the same position, so it's quite a difficult question.. Does this really matter?

lol..dun think so...guess i was bored when i asked this a few weeks ago...

**taneepak** · 05-02-2005, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by Neil Nicholls

what state is the racquet in when this measurement is taken though?
strung or not?
no grip on the handle?

balance points of my racquets, strung, couple of layers of electrical insulation tape on the handle + 1 Karakal Super Pu grip

supposedly head-light racquets
Carlton AS-1 256mm
Carlton AS-1 260mm

supposedly even racquets
Carlton AS-Ti 256
Carlton AS-Ti 258
Carlton AS-Ti 261
Carlton Aerogear 1000FX 259
Yonex MP100 262

supposedly head-heavy racquets
Yonex Ti10 275
Monsoon 3000Ti 279
Carlton Airblade Yong Hock Kin 282
Carlton Airblade Rasmussen Superlite 296

I believe most of your racquets here have a case of an overdose of too much weight on the handle. It looks like you have gone 2 steps higher in the 'U' weight category and 10% off on the b/p. They will play differently from what they were designed for, but you could have got used to them.

**Neil Nicholls** · 05-03-2005, 01:25 AM

Originally Posted by taneepak

I believe most of your racquets here have a case of an overdose of too much weight on the handle. It looks like you have gone 2 steps higher in the 'U' weight category and 10% off on the b/p.

You think 2 layers of insulation tape and 1 grip is an overdose?

But saying that, get this:
MP100 - 121g
Ti10 - 114g
the others are all about 20g up from the "list" weight. The Yonexs are a bit more because the handles are longer than on the Carltons.

**taneepak** · 05-03-2005, 05:13 AM

Originally Posted by Neil Nicholls

You think 2 layers of insulation tape and 1 grip is an overdose?

But saying that, get this:
MP100 - 121g
Ti10 - 114g
the others are all about 20g up from the "list" weight. The Yonexs are a bit more because the handles are longer than on the Carltons.

This weight range qualifies your racquets as training racquets. However, in the old days my Dunlop Maxply would be even stevens with your today's racquets.

**Gollum** · 05-03-2005, 06:33 AM

Originally Posted by taneepak

This weight range qualifies your racquets as training racquets. However, in the old days my Dunlop Maxply would be even stevens with your today's racquets.

Bear in mind that the overall weight of a racket is less important than the distribution of weight.

Adding weight to the handle has only a minor effect on a racket's playing characteristics - it doesn't affect the feeling of weight very much, because it is near to your hand and therefore has little moment.

Adding weight to the head has a big effect on a racket's playing characteristics. Weight added at the head has a large moment, so the racket feels heavier.

Light badminton rackets are obviously better than very heavy ones, but there is a limit to this improvement. Otherwise the best racket in the world would be the Karakal SL-70

**taneepak** · 05-03-2005, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by Gollum

Bear in mind that the overall weight of a racket is less important than the distribution of weight.

Adding weight to the handle has only a minor effect on a racket's playing characteristics - it doesn't affect the feeling of weight very much, because it is near to your hand and therefore has little moment.

Adding weight to the head has a big effect on a racket's playing characteristics. Weight added at the head has a large moment, so the racket feels heavier.

Light badminton rackets are obviously better than very heavy ones, but there is a limit to this improvement. Otherwise the best racket in the world would be the Karakal SL-70

To a certain extent it is true at the pivot point or axis of rotation. . But the handle is quite a lengthy piece and it does have a difference, especially when a designed 3U racquet with strings, which is supposed to weigh from 88.3g to 92.3g, goes over 120g. The extra 30g is not all concentrated at the 'neutral' axis of rotation-which changes all the time, depending on your constantly changing hand grip-and it will take the sting out of your clears, drives and smashes.
The only way is to find if this is true is to do an A/B evaluation/comparison.

**Neil Nicholls** · 05-04-2005, 01:19 AM

Originally Posted by taneepak

especially when a designed 3U racquet with strings, which is supposed to weigh from 88.3g to 92.3g, goes over 120g. The extra 30g is not all concentrated at the 'neutral' axis of rotation

who said it was 3U? Both my Yonex are 2U.

**taneepak** · 05-04-2005, 01:42 AM

Originally Posted by Neil Nicholls

who said it was 3U? Both my Yonex are 2U.

A 2U is only 1-5g heavier heavier than a 3U. Your overall weight is just too heavy, even heavier than Punch Gunalan's 1960s-1970s Dunlop Maxply. But if you are used to your heavy racquets, I suppose you can live with them. But believe me, you have blunted some of the sting in your racquets.

**Neil Nicholls** · 05-04-2005, 04:17 AM

Originally Posted by taneepak

I believe most of your racquets here have a case of an overdose of too much weight on the handle. It looks like you have gone 2 steps higher in the 'U' weight category and 10% off on the b/p. They will play differently from what they were designed for, but you could have got used to them.

The MP100 was about due for a new grip anyway, so I've stripped it down.
To my surprise I found 6 (!) layers of insulation tape under the grip.
With the grip down to the wood, the weight is now 92g (strung), BP 315mm.

So how much weight can I afford to put on the handle before it
"play's differently from what it was designed for"

bear in mind that 1 Karakal Super PU grip will add about 12g

**taneepak** · 05-04-2005, 05:00 AM

Originally Posted by Neil Nicholls

The MP100 was about due for a new grip anyway, so I've stripped it down.
To my surprise I found 6 (!) layers of insulation tape under the grip.
With the grip down to the wood, the weight is now 92g (strung), BP 315mm.

So how much weight can I afford to put on the handle before it
"play's differently from what it was designed for"

bear in mind that 1 Karakal Super PU grip will add about 12g

If your racquet is a 2U it would weigh at around 90-94g with the standard 8g grip but without string. With string it would be about 93.4g to 97.4g. Try not to go over 100g. If it is a 3U just subtract 5g. If it goes over 100g there are ways you can do to reduce the weight in the handle. The easy one is to take off the plastic filler cap or a counterweight inside the butt cap, if there is one. The newer Yonex racquets do have this inner cap or counterweight. The more professional way is to take away more wood in the tunnel of the handle with a wooden drilling bit. This is not as daunting as you might think. I do it all the time, sometimes to re-balance a racquet that has gone off balance, with the customer not even being aware of it except that he is aware that he has got back some sting in his shots.