Is this instance we are talking about racquet weight. Not the few pounds we put on yesterday, Thanksgiving Day!

In the early 1990’s we made a tennis racquet which weighed slightly over 7 ounces.  Awesome, some said!  This racquet traveled along with the standard weight racquets in the line and was available for anyone to hit with.

“Hit” in this case is a misnomer because the mass of the racquet was not enough to get the ball over the net in most cases!  Instead of a “hit” it was like a light “shove”!

With out a doubt the weight of a racquet must be “usable”.  Take a look at these brief warm-up videos to see weight in action then we will find out how much these racquets weigh and the swing weight…

Sophie Hitting

This is a Wilson Blade 98 18×20 pattern.  Racquet weight is  329 grams (11.61 Oz.) with a swing weight of 332 kg/cm^2.

Next let’s take a look at a different player…

Aleks (aka GBS) Hitting

This is a Head Radical with the Pro Cap System creating a racquet that weighs 340 grams (11.99 ounces) with a swing weight of 349 kg/cm^2.

It is obvious that both payers are swinging the racquet with gusto and it should be obvious that the racquets are stable on impact and this stability is necessary for power and control.

So the next time your oppponent asks if you have “gained weight” it will because the ball is coming at them with more “heaviness”!  And you can repsond “yes!” with a smile on your face!  Just like Robert, Sophie, and Aleks!