As we know the balance point is a better classification of balance than "head heavy/light/even" However I think we need clarity on how we measure it & a guideline (or graph even) of when, for a given racket length the racket "tips the balance" so to speak. I understand that strings, grips etc.. all change the Bpt & for exacting measures & a benchmark to refer to when comparing rackets, but surely it is also important (for example when selling a gripped & strung racket) to give the bpt in current state? For those more knowledgeable than me could we come up with some guidlines on the classification of bpt's & balance? I am thinking a simple range guideline for each length of racket in 5mm increments eg.: (one for 665, 670, 675mm etc..): <XXXmm Head light >XXXmm Head heavy Naturally the is only one point at which the racket in truly balanced, so viewrs could use the guide to judge just how extreme their current racket is toward Light/head heavy. I think it would help purchaser decide better when a racket would suit them and compare potential rackets they like to their existing one & the measurement is easy to take in your own home to a reasonable degree of accuracy. What do you guys think? Can someone outline some guidelines to start with? I hav searched but can't easily find a thread directly relevant or any evidence readily available that this isnt possible to produce so easily.
Good idea, but even though bp measurement is simple, the bp "feel" when swung unfortunately can be different depending on the distribution of mass on the frame, whether it is mostly up top, down low, or evenly distributed. Panda Dinkalot would most likely be the one best to address this issue. For a standard 675mm racket, I believe he has mentioned bp in the past somewhere along these lines: 270-275mm = quite head light 275-280mm = head light 280-285mm = balanced 285-290mm = slight head heavy 290-295mm = mod head heavy 295-300mm = head heavy >300mm = very head heavy Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong...
I've got this from mybadmintonstore website http://www.mybadmintonstore.com/shop/pages.php?page=specification& 270-280mm = Head Light (for Defensive & Control Play) 275-285mm = Head Balance (for All-Round Performance) 285-295mm = Head Heavy (for Offensive Play) I have tried measuring the BP's of my rackets from grip end to their BP's (BP can be found at the rackets shaft. My AT900T 3UG4 BP is roughly from 290-295 mm (original grip removed, replaced with white grap and strung with zymax62) My AT800DE 4UG4 BP is roughly from 280-285mm (with overgrip (thick) and strung with bg65) Though my rackets are in different weights (in terms of U), these are my conclusions: 1. the closer the BP to the racket head the racket gets head heavier and vice versa 2. string strung and thickness and thinness of overgrip slightly affects the balance point of a racket 3. the BP's of 4U and 3U rackets (same racket model) are the same
I also add that head heavy rackets produces more powerful smash (most of us already know that), but, (for me) harder to swing in defense (specially rackets with box frame due to air resistance) due to gravitational pull. This is the whole data i found in mybadmintonstore.com: Specifications: Options: Stiffness of Shaft Medium (Flexible) Partial transfer of energy from wrist action. Flexible shaft stores energy at swing motion giving more repulsion of shuttlecock at impact from the racket. Good for defensive and control play style (clears, overheads, returning smashes, etc...) Stiff (Limited Flexibility) Reasonable transfer of energy from wrist action, good for both defensive and offensive play style Extra Stiff (Minimum Flexibility) Maximum transfer of energy from wrist action. Minimum shaft movement gives high accuracy on shuttlecock positioning. Ideal for offensive play style (smashing, net kill, etc...) Some manufacturers show increasing stiffness by decreasing value. For example, SOTX and Tactic indicate stiff shaft as 8.0-8.5, and flexible shaft as 9.0-9.5. Frame Shape Conventional - Oval Head Shape (smaller sweet-spot) Isometric - Square Head Shape (wider sweet-spot) Frame Composition Base Material Aluminium Hi-Modulus Graphite Ultra Hi-Modulus Graphite Nano Carbon / Fullerene Mesh Titanium Composite (Utility Titanium) UltraTitanium gForceTi UltimumTi MicroTi ElasticTi Shaft Composition Base Material Aluminium Hi-Modulus Graphite Ultra Hi-Modulus Graphite Nano Carbon / Fullerene Mesh Titanium Composite (Utility Titanium) UltraTitanium UltimumTi MicroTi Racket Weight 2U - 90-94g 3U - 85-89g 4U - 80-84g 5U - 75-79g Total Length (frame tip – handle end) 665mm / 26.0 inches - Standard 675mm / 26.5 inches - Long 680mm / 26.8 inches - Ultra Long Grip Size Grip Size is the Circumferencial Thickness of a Grip Handle (with the original leather grip on) Hi-Qua / Tactic G2 - 3.25 inches Yonex G2 - 4.00 inches Hi-Qua / Tactic G3 - 3.50 inches Yonex G3 - 3.75 inches Hi-Qua / Tactic G4 - 3.75 inches Yonex G4 - 3.50 inches Hi-Qua / Tactic G5 - 4.00 inches Yonex G5 - 3.25 inches String Tension Tolerance Aluminium & Hi-Modulus Graphite Frames Main 18-20lbs (8-9kg) Cross 20-22lbs (9-10kg) Ultra Hi-Modulus Graphite / Nano Carbon Frames Main 18-26lbs (8-12kg) Cross 20-28lbs (9-13kg) Balance Point from Grip End 270-280mm = Head Light (for Defensive & Control Play) 275-285mm = Head Balance (for All-Round Performance) 285-295mm = Head Heavy (for Offensive Play) Understanding Yonex Racket Codes All genuine Yonex rackets have 2 sets of Laser-Etched serial number, one on the shaft, the other on the cone. Shaft (7 digits) - Example: 1234567 This number is unique, like the finger-print, to each racket. Cone (6 digits + 2 alphabets) - Example: 110562JP The first 5 digits show the date of manufacture of the racket. In the case of the above example, the racket was manufactured on 11th May, 2006. The meaning of the last digit remains a mystery. The 2 alphabets denotes the Code of Distribution. The Code of Distribution is intended to show the country or the market in which the racket is officially to be sold, or the market group by which the racket is intended for use. In the above example, JP stands for Japan. Below are some examples of Code of Distribution: AS = Australia, BX = Belgium / Netherlands, CD = Canada, CH = China, CN / CP = Chinese National Team, DK = Denmark, FR = France, GR = Germany, HK = Hong Kong, ID = India, IN = Indonesia, JP = Japan, KR = Korea, MA = Malaysia, NZ = New Zealand, SD = Sweden, SP = South Pacific, TH = Thailand, TW = Taiwan, UK = United Kingdom, US = USA To-date, there is no published literature and data from Yonex indicating the differences between rackets of different country codes. Hope this will help.
I have a question. How do you measure balance point? is there a tool or some kinda of technique that would allow you to measure the BP of a racket? Please share.
Hang your racket (at the shaft) with a shoe lace. Move the shoe lace along the shaft until you find balance between frame & handle (your racket will steadily hanged on the shoe lace). Then, measure the distance from shoe lace to bottom of handel.
Adding grips and overgrips etc changes the BP but it wont change the feel of the racket when swinging it. Therefore if you want to judge the head-heavyness of a racket by comparing the BPs of a few rackets (some with or without various types of grips) it is an exercise in futility.
