Category Archives: Tension
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!
A Couple of Stringing Basics
Racquet Quest is happy to welcome our new clients!
If you stop by the World Headquarters, we can discuss anything you’d like to know about stringing in general, as well as what we do and why. If you can not stop by, you can take a look at our YouTube Channel for this information.
Either way is good, and we welcome questions and suggestions about anything we do.
Please leave a comment on this page below the post, or you can text us @407.491.4755
You need to see this!
For years, we have been exploring the properties of materials that make up many of the tennis strings used by players now.
What we found, over fifteen (15) years ago, was that polyetherether ketone (PEEK) is the best string material for preventing arm, elbow, shoulder, and other injuries while enhancing performance.
What!
We love natural gut and use a lot of it; however, PEEK can take more “abuse” than natural gut, environmentally.
If you are joining the Racquet Quest community, you may be perplexed by this statement. And for good reason. If you are not near the world headquarters of Racquet Quest, LLC, you may have never heard of PEEK, marketed by Ashaway as MonoGut ZX and ZX Pro.
Why?
PEEK is a unique fiber that requires an understanding of its properties, unlike most other materials that do not possess the performance properties of PEEK.
Stringing with PEEK requires caring about the player and the racquet!
Jason’s Two (2) month old PEEK 17 gauge!
Previous stringing date: 8.3.25
This is an un-retouched photo of Jason’s Wilson’s RF 01 Pro after many hours of rigorous hitting.
String bed stiffness loss…17.7%!
You need to see this!
Ask your racquet technician to set up your racquet with this string. We believe you will be glad you did.
You can use this, not that!
Racquet Quest is constructing a “dynamic stiffness test” device to perform dynamic testing of tennis racquet string beds.
Why? So we can determine the string bed stiffness that will suit and even enhance performance on the court.
String bed stiffness is a significant number, and we take it in four (4) ways, but they are “static” methods. Static in the sense that the load is applied rather slowly. String bed stiffness is significant because players may not hit the ball slowly!
Our Questron pulls loads all the way to failure on all sorts of strings, but it is one (1) string, not a bunch like a strung racquet; therefore, our dynamic device will hit the string bed with a variable force, associated with a “harder” ball strike!
It is essential to understand when a string bed may be too harsh or too compliant for a player by learning the dynamic stiffness of various tennis racquets, string patterns, and strings.
So, use this, not that!
We take this data now, and it makes much sense; however, our new device will be more precise.
Stay tuned!
Racquet Quest, LLC
