Nadal is using more lead on his racquet!
He has not changed from his Aero Pro Drive GT, but has mentioned getting used to a heavier weight. His shots look much more deeper and heavier, and are not dropping short as much in Doha!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tim Prapong on
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“I’m playing with a little bit of more weight on the racquet. I suppose I have one month to practice with that, finally I had five days. I need hours on court with that. It’s a change that I consider will help me in the future but not immediately. Every change at the beginning is something new, and you go a little bit down and after you go up.
“We are trying to have a little bit more power with the racquet. Trying to find a little bit more winners. So that’s the reason. We believe that can help but when you are able just to practice with that for five, six days, that’s not enough. “I need more matches. Tomorrow I will have another practice, and Doha another one. These two, three weeks, will be very important for me.”
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Q. When did it first cross your mind that you possibly would change the racquet or change something and put more power? Was it a long process?
RAFAEL NADAL: We thought after US Open, but finally was a little bit too short, you know, because I had to play in Tokyo and Shanghai. So the period wasn’t enough.
I try to play with a little bit heavier than what this racquet is today, but we take the position that we have to change the racquet or we try to have to change the racquet. Not the racquet, only the weight, no?
So after Davis Cup final I had all the racquets prepared at home to change, but in theory, I will have three, four weeks of right practice. Finally I only had one week.
But that’s the right moment to change. If not, when? You don’t have time, no?
So probably a little bit tough now at the beginning maybe, yes. I cannot say that’s when you have to change. You cannot think that everything will be perfect from the beginning, but you make change thinking it will be better in the future. So probably, I don’t know– I don’t know how to say in English. Investment? Or to try to improve something, few things in my game that we believe we needed, like the winner, like a little bit the serves.
So we thought this change, that’s can help, that’s nothing is magic, but that’s can help a little bit to improve that. But probably that hurts my game a little bit at the beginning. So is a risk for this beginning of the season? Obviously, yes.
Q. Have you ever thought about maybe not playing the Australian Open and instead preparing for the rest of the season with your new racquet?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. No, because my preparation have to be competing when you will see the things can work well or not is when you are playing matches. Practicing, sometimes you play more relaxed. You know, everything is easy. When you see if that can work very well is when you are in competition.
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Permalink Reply by Mark / The Mayor on
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Tim, should us amateur players consider adding weight to our frames? How do we know if it will be a good thing based on our body type or swing type?
Thanks, Mark
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I believe in leading it up so that the balance is more around 7 pts HL or more. I am really against racquets that are balanced 4 or 5 pts headlight just so that the overall racquet weight can be 10.9 oz.. It has been proven that such a setup produces a great deal more shock to the arm and elbow.
With a longer and faster swing, I would want a more headlight balance around 8, 9 or more pts. If it is a beginner or lower intermediate player with a shorter, deliberate push swing, then it makes sense to be around 6 or 7pts.
If you are a smaller person with skinny arms or nonathletic, maybe the racquet should only be 11.3 oz. But 10.9 oz is just wrong. The only guy I have given a 10.9 oz racquet to is a 85 year old senior.
If you are reasonably athletic, 315g or more. The more advanced you are, the more weight can be used, because the technique allows you to be more relaxed and use momentum and whip mechanics to move the racquet, instead of a technique which is primarily a guide or a compact push. I am at 360 grams.
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Permalink Reply by Joe B. (BP, CA) on
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360 grams (12.7 oz.)? I thought mine was pretty heavy at 12.2. I use a Prince EXO3 Graphite with a claimed weight of 11.6 oz., with about 0.6 oz. added to the handle to get 6 pts. headlight. Good maneuverability over stock, and it can handle a heavy ball with less shock than my stock Rebel.
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I used to use a Gamma G325, which was named that for 325 grams. Soon, it became 340g, then 350g. Then it no longer played good, the head originally being flexible. It would distort too much on shots. So I think that there is a limit to how much lead can be placed on flexible hoops.
Sounds like your EXO3 was done right. Adding weight to the handle is a great way to make it more maneuverable.
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Permalink Reply by Meags on
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Tbh I would love to see rafa with djokovic set up and stick that didn't produce all that spin and hit thro the court a bit more. He wastes masses of energy and if you have as good a grinder on the other side like nole then you're in trouble. Lots of spin used to hurt these players, with djokovic set up he can hit straight thro that spin.
Good to see him adding weight though, he'll get more for less input.
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Rafa with a thinner beam would be very interesting! Yeah, I think he is wasting his energy massively. It's like Frazier constantly throwing hooks while Ali is hitting through with straight jabs and straight right crosses.
Well, did you see Rafa's flat backhand? Looks kinda strange to see him hit so through, but I like it!
People are gonna go bonkers seeing Rafa make his forehand flatter. lol
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when I watch rafa he always looks like he can flatten out and I like his bh when he does. However his racket, like the prince 100 line produce spin easily. Take into account the ww technique then you really have to force the flatter shot and the more mistakes are made.
As he said it will take a short time to adjust but I like the attitude that staying the same is not going to help him.
I just can't help but think what rafa would be like with a pro staff 95 or the melbourne. Obviously that kinda thing can never happen cos he's so tied in to world babolat sales.
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Yeah, when I try to hit his forehand with my Prestige Mid, it doesn't hop up and forward as much as when I hit it with the APD GT. I have to swing much harder to get the same forward spin. Bart Wallace, a poster here, let me try his Babolat and he told me of the difference. I almost wanted to switch to the Babolat for about a week!
But I just cannot drive the ball flat with that Babolat. The ball does not pocket AT ALL and it goes zinging way out of the baseline. Maybe that is Nadal's dilemma. His racquet will never let him flatten out totally, plus his Western grip wiper swingpath will never stay square long enough to stay consistent flat. Double trouble.
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Right from the horse's mouth. Only three grams to the tip of the racquet.
“So we decided to do it at the end of the season. Worse thing is, in theory, we had to practice one month with a new racquet. Finally I get injury on the knees in the final of Davis Cup, and after, on the shoulder. So I wasn’t able to play. So we reduce a little bit the weight in the beginning we prepared the racquet. So now we just playing with three more grams on the top of the racquet. But if you put three grams in a different part of racquet, is nothing, but in the top, yes. You feel. We decided to do that, because we believed that with this racquet, can help a little bit with the serve, can help a little bit to hit the ball a little bit longer with less, how to say? We found it to play that aggressive, to play a little bit easier, and to hit the winners sometimes can help me, no? So I need time, but I felt positive things during all this tournament, and, you know, I thought it would be much more difficult than what there is today. So I’m very happy.”
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3 grams is 9 swingweight points, which is 12 inches of 1/4" lead tape, or 6 inches of 1/2" Gamma lead. Three inches on both sides. Not a whole lot, but enough to make a difference.
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