Category Archives: Dwell Time

Head Squared

We have demo racquets of the new Head Squared racquet.  The racquets will arrive soon, and those who have tried it agree it is quite a different racquet!

The racquet specifications make this a model that will suit players of many abilities, and is a stable and easy racquet to play with!

You can demo your Head Squared now at Racquet Quest for delivery about mid-April!

 

Head Squared

Because this racquet is so different, we have done a few “customizations”.  This post will include two (2) of those customizations.  After you take a look at this data, we can discuss what players thought of each.

ManufacturerHead
Racquet ModelHead Squared
Reference Tension54
String
MonoGut ZX Pro PEEK
Machine UsedTrue Tension Pro
Static
String Bed Stiffness - RDC47
String Bed Stiffness -FlexFour55
Strig Bed Stiffness - SBS46
String Bed Stiffness - ERT32
Racquet Flex, RDC59
Racquet Flex, FlexFour46
Racquet - In Plane Stiffness391.1
Weight, Grams318
Weight, Ounces11.22
Balance, mm306
Balance, Inch12.05
Length, Cm68.7
Length, Inch27.047
Head Width9.94
Head Length12.85
Head Area, cm2647.1
Head Area, Sq. Inch100.3
Beam Height @ Grip, mm22.5
Beam Height @ Mid, mm25
Beam Height @ Tip23
Beam Width @ Grip, mm10.5
Beam Width @ Throat, mm12.4
Beam Width @ Mid, mm10.1
Beam Width @ Tip, mm12
Number of Main Strings16
Number of Cross Strings18
Ratio.687
Main String Grid Inch/mm7.63/193.8
Cross String Grid Inch/mm10.40/264.2
Density (% of head filled with string).791
Average Cross String Space.578
Average Main String Space.477
Dynamic
Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT32
Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in178.9
First Moment, Nm.736
Polar Moment303.0
Torsional Stability13
Swing Weight, Kg/cm2290
Swing Weight, Ounces10.23
Swing Weight Calculated297.8
Power, RDC41
Control, RDC58
Manueverability, RDC93
Power, Calculated 1733.3
Head Points11.81
Head Weight, %44.5%
Center of Percussion21.4
Dwell Time, ms6.83
Efective Stiffness - lbs26.2
K, Lb/In150.6
Recoil Weight157.1
Twist Weight234.4
End Weight 142.2
Tip Weight 175.6
9 O'Clock85.4
3 O'Clock85.2
Butt End148.1
COF, Main.323
COF, Cross.346

See what a subtle change in swing weight makes to the racquet.

ManufacturerHead
Racquet ModelHead Squared
Reference Tension54
String
Victrex 7718 PEEK
Machine UsedTrue Tension Pro
Static
String Bed Stiffness - RDC47
String Bed Stiffness -FlexFour55
Strig Bed Stiffness - SBS46
String Bed Stiffness - ERT32
Racquet Flex, RDC59
Racquet Flex, FlexFour46
Racquet - In Plane Stiffness391.1
Weight, Grams318
Weight, Ounces11.22
Balance, mm306
Balance, Inch12.05
Length, Cm68.7
Length, Inch27.047
Head Width9.94
Head Length12.85
Head Area, cm2647.1
Head Area, Sq. Inch100.3
Beam Height @ Grip, mm22.5
Beam Height @ Mid, mm25
Beam Height @ Tip23
Beam Width @ Grip, mm10.5
Beam Width @ Throat, mm12.5
Beam Width @ Mid, mm10.2
Beam Width @ Tip, mm12.1
Number of Main Strings16
Number of Cross Strings18
Ratio.687
Main String Grid Inch/mm7.63/193.8
Cross String Grid Inch/mm10.40/264.2
Density (% of head filled with string).791
Average Cross String Space.578
Average Main String Space.477
Dynamic
Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT32
Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in178.9
First Moment, Nm.736
Polar Moment303.0
Torsional Stability13
Swing Weight, Kg/cm2290
Swing Weight, Ounces10.23
Swing Weight Calculated345,6
Power, RDC41
Control, RDC58
Manueverability, RDC93
Power, Calculated 1733.3
Head Points11.81
Head Weight, %44.5%
Center of Percussion21.4
Dwell Time, ms6.83
Efective Stiffness - lbs26.2
K, Lb/In150.6
Recoil Weight157.1
Twist Weight234.4
End Weight 142.2
Tip Weight 175.6
9 O'Clock85.4
3 O'Clock85.2
Butt End148.1
COF, Main.323
COF, Cross.346

 

 

 

Where is my power?

Tennis players want power, control, spin, comfort, durability, and fun!

Well, so do we!

We collect data to contribute to your greater enjoyment of tennis, so we are including this video to address some questions about power!

Because we do not know how you are swinging the racquet, fast, slow, or in between, we must rely on data (numbers) to help us help you.

Cross String Tension…Yikes!

Cross-string tensions, or actually reference tensions, are the topic of this brief post.

First, every tennis racquet has a “natural” ratio, that is, if the reference tension (and machine setting ) is 50 for both the main string and cross string when the racquet is removed from the stringing machine, the tensions remaining will be in the area of around 50 for the mains and 37 for the cross.

The resultant tension is the natural ratio of that specific racquet.

The issue with changing cross-string tension either higher or lower than the main is that the racquet has changed shape.  That is why we test for In-Plane stiffness for every racquet.  The higher the In-Plane stiffness, the higher the cross-string tension will remain upon removal from the machine.

If the racquet has very low In-Plane stiffness, it has expanded in width with only the main string installed, so the cross strings need to pull the racquet back into a better (hopefully original) shape.

So, when deciding how much variation you want between the main and cross strings, please consider the racquet!  In most cases, we suggest using the same string tension setting for both the main and the cross, since the cross string tension will naturally be lower.

Our True Tension Professional stringing equipment supports the racquet in such a way that we install the main string and cross string at the natural ratio, so the racquet does not change shape and the string bed is consistent.

If you are curious about  In-Plane stiffness for a specific tennis racquet, please leave a comment below.

Launch Angle…what is it and how do we use it?

In the simplest terms, “launch angle” is the angle the ball leaves the tennis racquet relative to the court.  That does seem simple enough, but how do we, or can we, contribute to it?

We are getting more and more calls asking what to do to reduce launch angle, as the game is changing to a flatter style, which generates a little more energy.

  • Racquet Trajectory plays an important role in launch angle.  That is why we hear “low to high” so often.
    • A flat stroke can generate more ball speed but less spin.
  • String Bed Stiffness is another property that contributes to launch angle.
    • A stiffer string bed can reduce launch angle.

Many, many factors contribute to this, so we think this way:

As a player, you do not want to change too many things about your stroke; you want the racquet to do the changing for you!

OK, then!  The first, and maybe the only thing you would do is pick up a racquet with an 18 x 19 string pattern!  In most cases, you do not even need to change your reference tension(s).

We believe the 18 x 19 pattern is slightly more compatible than an 18 x 20, but either would work to help keep your launch angle under your control!